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.