20/20 Vision? Not enough for leaders

Vision gets talked about in almost every leadership book, yet it’s often the least clear concept in practice. At its core, vision answers two simple questions:

Where are we going? Why are we going there?

Simple, but rarely answered well.

Vision is an orientation toward the future. It doesn’t have to be abstract or philosophical. In fact, the best visions are grounded and practical. John Kotter said leaders establish the vision and the strategy to get there. They create change. They motivate people to move in the right direction and to sacrifice to get there.

That starts with a picture.

Leaders create a clear image in their minds of what success looks like, then help others see it too. The clearer the picture, the more powerful it becomes. People who succeed tend to see themselves succeeding before it happens. The golfer sees the shot before the swing.

History gives us plenty of examples. During the Civil War, Admiral David Farragut didn’t plan for defeat. His now-famous command, “Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead,” wasn’t bravado. It was clarity. Defeat wasn’t part of his vision.

Business is no different.

There was a time when companies planned three to five years ahead. Today, many struggle to see three to five months out. Plans are written, rewritten, abandoned, or ignored. But the companies that kept their eyes on the future, even in uncertainty, especially in uncertainty do better. Vision doesn’t mean ignoring reality. It means working through it to set clear direction.

Writers like Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras suggest using the “five whys” to uncover purpose. Keep asking why until you reach something real. Not a slogan, something that actually holds up under pressure. But vision alone isn’t enough.

As futurist Joel Barker put it: vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is just passing time. The combination of both is what makes a difference.

That’s where many leaders fall short. They talk about the future but don’t build the plan. Or they execute relentlessly without ever stepping back to ask where they’re going. The best leaders do both.

Look at Howard Schultz at Starbucks. When the company drifted from its original vision, he came back as CEO and reset it. He shut down stores for training and brought thousands of managers together to reconnect to purpose. It wasn’t about coffee it was about restoring clarity. Vision gives people something to commit to.

Employees don’t just want direction. They want confidence that there is a future worth investing in. As Peter Drucker said, leadership is lifting a person’s vision and performance to a higher standard. That’s the job in the corner office or in the daily huddle.

Do you help others see themselves in that future. It is not easy. Many people are focused on the present; paychecks, deadlines, pressure. But that’s exactly why vision matters. It creates space to think beyond today.

John W. Gardner once wrote that people underestimate their capacity for change. Leaders help unlock that capacity by showing what’s possible.

We didn’t go to the moon for incremental gains. John F. Kennedy cast a bold vision that rallied a nation. Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t settle for small improvements he reshaped how a society thought. Vision does that.

It stretches people. It focuses effort. It creates energy. And it requires discipline.

Research shows that successful people consistently spend time thinking about the future, what they want and how to move toward it. Not from randomly from time to time. Intentionally, regularly. That’s work.

A leader keeps looking ahead. Keeps asking why. Keeps building the plan. And keeps bringing people along. Vision isn’t just about ideas.

It’s about direction and taking a step towards it.

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