Compelling Vision
Leadership Thought of the Day
Leadership starts with vision. A leader begins the process of change by envisioning a better way of doing things, a better situation or a better way to live. Some visions are relatively small, like executing a successful bake sale, some can be huge, like the creation of a new and better union. Regardless, leaders start with this vision and learn to effectively communicate it in a compelling and motivating fashion. They cast the seeds of this vision well and often, knowing that over communication of a compelling and significant mission is not a concern.
Successful leaders know that it is counter-productive to try to dictate a vision. Such tactics are futile at best, self-destructive at worse. People need to buy into a vision before they are willing to invest their personal efforts, resources and perhaps even their lives into the work required to make the vision a reality. It has been said that before people buy into a vision they first must buy into the leader. Leaders find a cause, a vison. People find a leader, and then adopt the vision. Young and charismatic President John F. Kennedy communicated a vision that within a decade that America would send men to the moon and bring them home safely. The nation rallied behind that vision and made it a reality.
The following article, “Teaming Up to Teach” is from the Engineering Society of Detroit magazine, Technology Century, June-July of 2009. Marcia Goodrich of Michigan Technological University did a terrific job of capturing a vision that I formed during the tumultuous period of economic recession that brought the auto industry and my company to the verge of collapse. The vision was to offer training to engineers who had lost their jobs due to the downturn to retool their skill sets in the emerging area of advanced propulsion. When a trilateral partnership was formed between MTU, ESD and GM to do just that, great things ensured. Watching the leadership of those directly involved was compelling and inspirational. It never would have become a reality without the vison, effort and dedication of leaders the likes of MTU President Glenn Mroz, Dr. Jeff Naber, and GM Engineer Jennifer GoForth. It is being reprinted for your pleasure below.
Stay Strong,
Terry J. Woychowski
