In business, the vision is at risk if leaders do not take a bearing from time-to-time, through observation, of the pulse of the organization. This is part of strategic execution, since you risk creating resistance if you do not sell the vision with open and frequent communication. From the perch at the top of the tree, the “what, why and how” of a strategic vision is obvious. However, team members may interpret a new vision as unwelcome change and extra work. Leaders need to achieve buy-in of the vision through engagement, because no matter how noble the new, there is a tendency to maintain the status quo.
Vision Through Engagement
A skilled leader, like a skilled salesperson, invests first in relationships to create future results. Successful salespeople understand that the best time to deal with resistance is before it comes up. They do this by addressing the benefits and advantages of the product or service for the client. Visionary leaders use similar selling skills to engage the team with the purpose of the vision. They support team members with appropriate training, coaching and resources, because they understand the connection between these inputs and the desired outputs. Authoritarian management may seem like a shortcut, but it only leads to a dead-end of deeper resistance and employee disengagement.
How to Sell the Vision
Successful leaders use sales skills to engage the team as partners, who willingly offer their efforts to visions they value. Real engagement occurs because the leader invests every effort in actively promoting the “what, why, and how” of the vision. There is no such thing as over-selling your vision.
Dr. Elijah Clark references extensive research on leadership’s responsibility to sell the vision. It is not enough for a leader to simply have a vision, they must also know how to bring the vision into fruition (Ilies, Judge, & Wagner, 2006; Mayfield, Mayfield, & Sharbrough, 2015). It is the leaders responsibility to provide followers with a road map to achieve goals that will fulfill visions. This can be done by motivation and creating challenging goals (Ilies, Judge, & Wagner, 2006).
Being a successful leader requires the utilization of many concurrent skills. Creating a viable vision, establishing an environment that encourages motivation, committing to coaching, and consistently measuring and evaluating the progress of the business. Each of these strategic actions co-exist with the day-to-day tactical activities that are expected of you. Strategic leadership is not for the faint of heart.