Chapter 2: The Visionary: Hold on tight, we’re going to Mars
Summary:
Wow! What a whirlwind. Lifting the lid, even slightly, on life in Andy’s office is enough to make your head spin.
It’s in equal measure awe-inspiringly wonderful and nail-bitingly frustrating working with a true Visionary.
They bring the vision, flexibility, courage and the ability to simplify complex ideas which are needed to lead the group to well, wherever they want to go, really.
However their inability to focus on detail, the need to own all the team’s ideas and their extremes of commitment can make it hard to get things done.
That being said there are a range of strategies which can be used to make our day-to-day interactions with a Visionary more positive and to harness the creative energy they bring and turn it into something truly great.
Use the links at the top of the page to work through the resources for Chapter 2 and discover more about what it is to be a Visionary and how to engage with them positively.
If you’re a Visionary yourself, read through the resources and try to put yourself in the position of a Non-Visionary. You may learn a thing or two about working with you that may surprise you.
We’d love to know what you thought of the resources for Chapter Two.
What did you like? What didn’t you like? What would you like to see more of? Or less of?
What did you think of Chapter Two? Did you discover anything interesting or unusual? Leave a comment below and join in the discussion.
Chapter 2 Resources
Worksheet: The Visionary
We have a series of exercises covering the key themes of the chapter including; characteristics of a Visionary, their strengths and weaknesses and how to deal with a visionary as a peer, boss or direct report. They’re great to do on your own but even better to do them in a group.
Activity: Dealing with the Whirlwind
We have three scenarios to put yourself in the position of working with a Visionary as a peer, boss and direct report. How will you handle it?
Flashcards: Working with a Visionary
Three flashcards for dealing with a Visionary in different situations. Cut them out, put them in your purse of wallet and pull them out when you need help with a particular situation or person.
ARTICLE: Why Visionary Leaders Must Institutionalize their V-ness (and how to do it)
Having a Visionary leader is necessary to get a business on the path to Predictable Success and having one lead the business through its growth can be advantageous.
The key for any successful Visionary is not to become the sole embodiment of V-ness within the organization but to embed it.
In this article Les explains how a Visionary leader should institutionalize their V-ness.
BLOG POSTS
You’ll find a growing selection of Visionary related postings from Les’ regular blog here.
External Resource: Howard Schultz: Pour Your Heart into It One Cup at a Time
It wasn’t long ago that Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz was the poster child for Visionary’s the world over.
In growing a small coffee company from 11 stores to a global brand of more than 1000 stores world-wide, Schultz displayed the ultimate trait of a Visionary; to see something which was not there before.
This is a great tour through the early days of growth up to the period the company was in Predictable Success.
It is exactly because Schultz didn’t manage to institutionalize his V-ness that Starbucks fell from its height and is now struggling to get back to Predictable Success (despite what he claims in his latest book Onward).
That being said this is still a great read and gives a good insight into the mind of a true Visionary.
ARTICLE: ‘V’ versus ‘P': Currie and Martin at Kansas State
An interesting article on a classic ‘V’ versus ‘P’ conflict between John Currie and Frank Martin at Kansas State.