Understanding the Vision Challenge - Why Others Sometimes Don't Believe

BusinessMarketing & Advertising

  • Author John Hersey
  • Published May 11, 2010
  • Word count 506

Creating a vision is not generally difficult for great leaders and managers. More often than not, the difficulties come in getting others to embrace that vision as wholeheartedly as they do. To be able to share their vision and garner the support of everyone involved, leaders must first recognize the actions of naysayers and then try to understand what blocks them from seeing the vision as the leader sees it.

There are as many reasons for people not embracing visions as there are leaders who create them, the most common being the fear of change. The introduction of a new vision invariably means something is about to change and for most people, change is frightening.

People also fail to show enthusiasm for something that they share no ownership of. If the vision is strictly that of the leader, and others have played no active role in developing it, they will often lack enthusiasm for making it happen.

Sometimes it is hard for people to embrace a vision that they don't understand. A cookie cutter approach will not work when trying to share a vision. Great leaders must find ways to communicate their dreams in different ways to different people. They may also have to accept that not everyone will "get it" the first time. Sometimes an idea, however great, has to be repeated over and over until it catches on.

Unfortunately, no matter how fantastic a vision may seem, there are always going to be some people who just don't like it. Perhaps they don't believe it's attainable, or maybe they don't like the idea that it means extra work. Maybe they think the vision is too big or too small. Occasionally it is because of something as simple as the fact that they don't like the manager or leader who created it in the first place. There is a saying in leadership circles that states people must first buy into the leader before they will buy into the vision. If they don't believe in the leader, they're not likely going to believe in his vision.

Businesses and companies are constantly changing and evolving, and as they do, their visions change as well. Sometimes what appears to be a reluctance to embrace a vision is simply a lack of knowledge that it even exists. When new employees join the company, they need to be made aware of the company vision.

A vision can be forgotten. Often when a vision is first created there is a lot of enthusiasm for the project. As time passes, that energy subsides and the vision starts to fade. Good leaders understand the need to repeat and refresh the vision on a regular basis.

Sometimes an individual just doesn't agree with the vision. It may be that he feels it is taking the company in a direction that he strongly disagrees with or into a practice that is against his personal beliefs in some way. In all likelihood there is little any leader, even a great one can do to change this.

John Hersey,

Leadership keynote speaker. See John in action! http://www.johnhersey.com/john_preview_video.html

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