Has anyone ever called you a genius? How about, more likely, a “smart, passionate, but difficult" person? These are common labels assigned to visionary leaders, who are often – like Galileo – misunderstood in their own time. The combination of out-of-the-box creative thinking and unnerving conviction that you are right can be frightening to many.

But in business, it's the visionaries that can see where the company needs to be and who are able to formulate the necessary steps to get it there. Through your passion, persistence and openness to new ways of doing things, you inspire your team to do what others would never dream of, and you push your entire company to achieve its long-term goals.

 

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FAMOUS VISIONARY LEADERS

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Steve Jobs, co-founder & CEO, Apple 
Richard Branson, founder, Virgin Group 
Albert Einstein, scientist 
Thomas Edison, inventor

 

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YOUR X-FACTOR

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You can see the future! Visionaries often possess the ability to see things “with their mind's eye" long before others can. This means you can see key trends in business or technology that are still in their infancy stage, or that haven't even begun yet, as well as possibilities of new inventions, discoveries or products, like self-driving cars or the shift to mobile.

But, you also know that the future is not set, so you are constantly searching for alternatives. In that quest, you are more open than most people to new information that can help you solve a problem or create a breakthrough. You are not concerned with or held back by convention or historical precedent. By ignoring, or even by intentionally violating norms, visionaries open themselves up to all possibilities and will try things that others may overlook or are not willing to challenge. This willingness to experiment and test new waters often means that visionaries are ideally suited to break new ground and discover creative solutions.

You are also strong in your conviction. You don't allow your opinions, beliefs or abilities to be shaped or influenced by the judgments of others.

 

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YOUR DANGER ZONE

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Clarity and determination are great, but can lead you to underestimate the challenges of bringing that vision into reality. That is, your vision may seem so close and obtainable that you focus more on the ultimate outcome than on the tactical steps your team needs to get there. And your team might not always know the way.

It's easy to forget, too, that while the vision is important, it's people that make them reality, and they need to be effectively enrolled or your idea will never come to fruition.

Visionaries like you also tend to be highly sensitive. This can manifest itself as quirkiness – think Van Gogh, Howard Hughes, John Nash – and, as noted above, it is easy to feel misunderstood or not like the others, so it can sometimes feel lonely.

 

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WHERE TO PUT YOUR FOCUS

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Your natural tendency is to put the emphasis on the vision. But it's equally important to focus on the action that must be taken to achieve your vision. One powerful way of making real progress is to implement Tony's Rapid Planning Method (RPM) – a results-focused life planning system designed to help you take the steps to make your vision real.

If you are leading a team, you must realize that the participation and peak performance of every single member is vital towards achieving your vision. Focus on empowering your colleagues and employees. Create a comfortable environment where they are encouraged to express their creativity and insights. You may be able to leverage valuable ideas and information from this collaborative effort. Synergistic thinking can reveal exciting, and perhaps even surprising insights that can help you solve any challenges that come your way or even help you evolve your ultimate vision.

 

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BEST SUPPORTING LEADERS

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Surround yourself with Coaches, who can ensure that the needs of individual employees do not get lost in pursuit of your larger vision.