The Silver Pavilion (Ginkakuji) Temple in Kyoto, April 2010.

Why is vision so precious, and so rare?

Don’t look for vision amongst the pedestrian thinkers, from people who grumble or focus on limitations. The capacity to see the world of the possible is not practiced by most people of the world.  I think many are capable of visionary thinking, and yet many are extremely practical people, not wondering what would happen if . . . just if . . . the world were slightly tweaked.

I fear that most people are content with a certain amount of mental inertia.  Imagination is just the beginning of visionary thinking. Most of us can – and do – imagine.  What if the Diamondbacks won the World Series? What if the Rolling Stones played in Phoenix, and I had front row seats? Yes, this kind of thinking yields delight and an internal reverie. However, visionary thinking goes farther. Visionary thinking collides with the practical world, rolls up its sleeves and asks people, “why not?”

Imagination thinking precedes visionary thinking, and yet it is not sufficient to move people to action.  A vision is much more than a practiced sense of imagination. “When I think of vision, I have in mind the ability to see above and beyond the majority,” said Christian author Charles Swindoll. The visionary thinker has refined an idea and found a means to move people toward a worthwhile, possible future.

The visionary thinker offers a worldview that affects many people in a selfless way, not just for the benefit of the thinker.  A good dream may just serve one’s personal dreams.  A transformative vision helps the multitudes. A sustained vision is energized by the service it offers to others. Like Ghandi, a transformative vision can change one’s life from serving a life of self-interest to dedication to helping others. The right vision is that powerful. A transformative vision attracts people by its vital potential to manifest.

A vision is invested with concentrated thinking. The deliverer of a vision is no prophet; a period of creative thinking precedes its full bloom. The work of vision creation comes from the intentional mental activity of considering the possible, the efforts of like-minded colleagues yoked in voluntary community. Some people consider directed thinking to be an idle brain pastime, like a recreational puzzle. The work of creating the vision is an effort of experienced reflection, drawn from life encounters, emotional connections and career obstacles. The generation of a vision is part of the making of a leader.

 Have you heard a visionary leader? You have probably noted the intensity of the perception, the reality of the life described by the author, and the selfless nature of the correspondent. The visionary leader is not a packaged message, built on a formula of familiar prescriptions. The visionary leader connects with the resonant message that appeals to the highest part of one’s spirit.

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Do you have a clear vision of what you would like to do in five years?

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Tell me about your career change experience (research for my book): http://bit.ly/7YhcMK