Develop a Clear Vision

One major singular quality that all outstanding leaders posses in common is a clear and exciting vision of the future. Vision gives us the opportunity to create our desired future, either personally or on a national scale; it is the future we do not create deliberately that actually takes us by surprise. Vision is so critical as there is no future without it! And this is something that only the leader can do. Only the leader can think about the future and plan for the future each day. As simple as these principles are, they are guaranteed to change any individual, family or nation if applied.

Think Through

Excellent leaders take the time to think through and develop a clear picture of where they want the family, organization or nation to be in one, three and five years. Leaders have the ability to communicate this vision in such a way that others “buy in” and eventually see the vision as belonging to them, as their own.

Long Term Perspective

The most successful people in every society are those who take the longest time period into consideration when making their day-to-day decisions. This insight comes from the innovative work on ascending financial movement in America conducted by Dr. Edward Banfield of Harvard University in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. After studying most of the factors that were thought to contribute to individual financial success over the course of a person’s lifetime, he concluded that there was one primary factor that took precedence over all the others. He called it “time perspective.”

 Short Time Perspectives

People at the lowest levels of society have the shortest time perspectives. They always concentrate mainly on instant, present pleasure and often engage in activities that are virtually guaranteed to lead to negative consequences in the long term. At the very bottom of the social ladder, you find hopeless alcoholics and drug addicts. These people think in terms of the next drink or the next fix, that’s all that fulfills them. Their time perspective is often less than one hour. Instead of paying now to play later, they prefer to play now and pay dearly later.

Qualitative Inspiration

It is the endearing vision of the future possibilities, of what can be, that arouses emotion and inspires people to give of their best. The most powerful vision is always qualitative, aimed at and described in terms of values and mission rather than quantitative, which is described in terms of money and numbers. Of course, money is important, but the decision and commitment to “be the very best” is far more exciting and productive as this will eventually turn in the money.

Act Now!

You see, I have realized that wanting to do something, wishing things will improve and hoping for change means nothing on its own. It is not what you read that counts but what you DO to what you read. Transformations only happen when you commit to taking massive action! Project forward 4-6 years, imagine your ideal future vision and put it down on paper. What does it look like? What steps can you take immediately to begin turning your future vision into your current reality? Remember, the smallest deed is better that the greatest intention! Unlimited success!

Isaac Oladipupo