Signs of Visionary Leaders
If there are a bunch of
people in a room and you are asked to identify those who are
visionary
what would you do? Would you talk to each person individually to find
out who is visionary and who is not? Would you assign them some tasks in
order to watch them and identify the visionary ones? Would you divide
them in groups and observe which ones act as visionary leaders?
Visionary leaders have some signs that make them stand out from the rest
of the crowd. Following are 7 signs of visionaries.
They are imaginative
Visionary people can visualize things easily. When you talk to
visionary leaders you can recognize them from the rest of the crowd
because of their imagination. Visionaries can imagine future
possibilities in their minds and then explain what they have imagined
clearly. They imagine things that others cannot imagine. Through their
imagination they can draw future possibilities for their organization.
They are big-picture oriented
You can recognize visionaries by their ability to see the big
picture. In a group of people, visionary ones talk about the big picture
and how various factors link together to create that picture. They see
the whole process and not a single step.
Since visionary leaders are big-picture oriented, they are not
attached. They are not worried about why this happened and why that did
not happen. They enjoy the whole process. They are patient. They see all
the links in the big picture and therefore they do not blame others.
They are focused and present
When you are in presence of a true visionary, you can feel their
power. Visionaries are powerful because they are focused and present. In
other words, focus and presence create power.
Since visionaries are present and focused, you can connect with them
when they talk about what they have in mind, when they teach you
something, or when they perform a task. People are more drawn to those
who are focused and present. That is why visionaries have more
followers.
They are open minded and fan of new ideas
Visionaries have open minds. They do not limit themselves to their own thoughts and ideas. When you talk to a
visionary leader, he or she is open to what you talk about and listens to your ideas and thoughts attentively.
One thing that differentiates visionary leaders from other open
minded people is that visionaries tell you their expectations upfront.
They give you a big picture of what they have in mind. Then they let you
be creative and come up with new ideas and thoughts on how to achieve
that vision. They encourage you to be as creative as possible and never
afraid of presenting your so called silly ideas.
They are positive energizers
Another sign of true visionaries is their positive attitude. Since
visionaries are passionate about and connected with their vision, their
positive energy level is typically high. As such, they act as positive
energizers; that is, they recharge people with positive energy.
Due to their positive attitude, true visionaries are surrounded by
positive people who are willing to help them achieve a common vision.
They are never afraid of failures
As mentioned earlier, true visionaries see what others cannot see.
They see the big picture. They see the links among different events.
They see possible obstacles. They know there would be challenges along
the way. They know they might have temporary setbacks. But they also
know the great value of fulfilling the vision. Therefore, true
visionaries never give up. They are not afraid of failures because they
know that failures are part of the process as well.
In a group of leaders, true visionaries can be recognized with their
tendency towards taking risks and transforming those risks to
opportunities. Their positive approach and their focus on the vision
help them not be afraid of failures. Such leaders are willing to
discover new paths and become searchlights for others. This is the
secret of their success.
They share and communicate the dream/vision
One of the big signs of visionaries is their willingness for sharing
their vision with the world. They don’t keep it to themselves because
they know that they cannot get to the destination alone. They need
others for filling the gaps and that is why they communicate their
vision and dreams with others to attract the right people.
If you have these signs, I congratulate you for being a visionary
leader. If you don’t have some of these signs, you can take the lead and
improve your skills toward becoming a fully visionary leader.
....................MARIKI HEAVENLIGHT...................
