Daniel Goleman describes visionary leadership as “helping people to see how their work fits into the big picture, lending people a clear sense not just that what they do matters, but also why. Visionary leaders set people free to innovate, experiment, and take calculated risks.” One of my favorite visionary leaders of all time is Walt Disney, and there is a great story told by Vance and Duncan in the 1997 book, Think Outside the Box. They describe how, while Walt was actually on his death bed, he invited a reporter to listen to him describe, in great detail, every aspect of his vision for Disney World yet to be built in Florida. The story is told that Walt looked up at the ceiling tiles and drew pictures with his hands in the air, drawing the visionary map of what would become one of his greatest legacies. Vance and Duncan sum up the story with statements about how that is the way to live: we should live our lives in such a way that even on our deathbed, we cannot contain our passion and vision for what could be.
Do you lead your people in that way? Will you still be speaking of what could be for your organization even when your time is coming to an end? There are few people like Walt Disney, but I hope that there are some who live and lead with that level of passion and vision. I know that the things for which I have committed my life are such that I know the fulfillment of their mission will far outlive me, and, that even on my last day on earth, I’ll still be talking about them. Hopefully, that’s a long time from now!
Lead well.