Super Business - Project Management Articles


Sections
Syndication



VISIONARY LEADERSHIP


VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

The first basic ingredient of leadership is a guiding vision. The leader has a clear idea of what he wants to do – professionally and personally – and the strength to persist in the face of setbacks, even failures. Unless you know where you are going, and why, you cannot possibly get there.

Warren Bennis (1994)

Visionary leadership has become something of a holy grail. It seems to be a rare commodity which is greatly sought after. Our recent research (see box) indicates that today’s business leaders place considerable value on visionary leadership as a tool for organizational change. But is visionary leadership really the answer?

In our change leadership sessions with private sector senior and middle managers in the UK we ask people to name significant leaders of change. The top four names mentioned over the period 1997–2002 were:

  • Winston Churchill.

  • Margaret Thatcher.

  • Nelson Mandela.

  • Adolf Hitler.

The top five characteristics that emerged through a typical discussion of these significant leaders were:

  • Clear vision.

  • Determination.

  • Great speaker, great presence.

  • Tough when needed.

  • Able to stand alone.

Cameron Change Consultancy data 2002

Here we explore the views of the supporters of visionary leadership, and those who make the case against it.


807 times read

Related news

» Bennis on the characteristics of visionary leaders
by admin posted on Mar 12,2008
» Heifetz and Laurie: vision is not the answer
by admin posted on Mar 12,2008
» Leadership for the 21st century: less vision, more connection?
by admin posted on Mar 12,2008
» Leading change
by admin posted on Mar 12,2008
» Bass: proof that visionary leadership works!
by admin posted on Mar 12,2008