Vision-Clarifying and Communicating

Someone asked me the other day what it meant to clarify your vision.  We had an interesting discussion, which started by centering on the definition of vision.  We didn't know we were participating in an exercise that would rival Webster, but that seems to be where we started. We talked about goals and dreams, the location of a vision, and who was involved.

A vision has at its center goals and dreams, however it is more than that.  A vision most often is centered on a point in the future.  It can involve just you, or a group of people.

Often, when we try to grasp a somewhat nebulous concept, we start with defining it.  This seems to make us feel comfortable, more in charge.  If we can define it, we can see it.  If we can see it, we can hold it.  If we can hold it, we can control it.  We are more in charge.  And, when dealing with nebulous concepts, we like to be in charge!!  Then, we know what we are talking about……or so it seems.

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Empowering Others For Success

Leadership is influence.  Leaders have the opportunity to positively influence people every day, through any type of interaction.  Everyone is a leader.  You don’t have to have the title to lead.  People are leaders with their families, co-workers, direct reports, neighbors, co-volunteers, co-members of a place of worship, etc.

Influence means that you are guiding people toward a way of acting that demonstrates integrity and concern for others.  Influence means that you have inspired others how to meet their professional and personal goals.  Influence occurs through the modeling of your behaviors (how you choose to handle key moments) and by empowering others for success.

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Integrity

What is integrity?  A quick check of a dictionary and thesaurus indicate integrity is honesty, veracity, and reliability.  But, I’m sure we all know people whom we think are reliable or honest….yet we wouldn't say they show integrity, or act with integrity.  Meanings of words can go deeper than “just a definition”.  Meanings of words can be hard to speak with our tongue, but we know those meanings with our brain and heart.  In other words, “we know it when we see it”.

Displaying integrity is more than just a word.  It encompasses behaviors.  Integrity means following our moral compass...what we think is right.  Showing integrity means giving up short-term rewards for something better in the long-term.  The rewards given up are not tangible, such as money.  They are much more intangible:  being able to escape a tough situation now, avoiding responsibility, blaming others, giving excuses when something you do goes wrong, seeking immediate pleasure, gaining approval, and indulging oneself.  Even though those are intangible rewards, they are VERY powerful motivators for our choices of behaviors.

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