What are the most important characteristics of the best corporate visions? Why is having a vision necessary?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Student answers will vary but should demonstrate knowledge of why visions are crucial to effective leadership. A vision is a mental image of a possible and desirable future state of the organization. It expresses the leader's ambitions for the organization. A leader can create a vision that describes high performance aspirations, the nature of corporate or business strategy, or even the kind of workplace worth building. The best visions are both ideal and unique. If a vision conveys an ideal, it communicates a standard of excellence and a clear choice of positive values. If the vision is also unique, it communicates and inspires pride in being different from other organizations. The choice of language is important; the words should imply a combination of realism and optimism, an action orientation, and resolution and confidence that the vision will be attained. The leader must be able to articulate the vision, clearly and often. Other people throughout the organization should understand the vision and be able to state it clearly themselves. That is a start. But the vision means nothing until the leader and followers take action to turn the vision into reality.