“ Create the highest and grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe” Oprah Winfrey
When we read biographies or watch interviews about people who have achieved success, one of the things that always comes out is that these people had a clear vision of what they wanted to achieve.
In his book Be Useful , Arnold Schwarzenegger mentions that he imagined himself becoming a bodybuilding champion and then a movie star, as soon as he saw Reg Park in the role of Hercules.
This vision gave him the motivation to push himself to the maximum in the gym and the courage to conquer the United States, first in cinema and later on the political scene.
If you are looking for an inspiring book, I suggest this one. If you choose the original audio version, he is the narrator himself and injects his beautiful personality into the reading of the book.
A clear and concrete vision
For my part, I always had a clear vision of what I wanted to accomplish in my personal life: find love (it took longer than expected, but 25 years later I conclude that the wait was worth it, thank you, Estel ♥), have children (initially 4, but finally 2 and that’s fine), grandchildren (not yet and that’s ok) and live healthy for as long as possible (because I’m afraid of dying).
On the professional side, it was more complicated…
A big fan of the Montreal Canadiens, I wanted to become a sports commentator during my childhood. Curious by nature, during adolescence for 5 minutes, I wanted to be a doctor simply to see what was under our skin. Later, I wanted to become an interpreter or translator.
At College, to open doors for me and have the biggest challenge, it was pure sciences. On a whim, I followed a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemistry. I postponed my entry into the job market, because I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my career.
The arrival of my first son while I was finishing my master’s degree forced me to grow out of this fear and find a job. For those who are passionate about pure sciences, I agree that it is a fascinating world, but not always profitable. My first salary, after almost 7 years of university: $17.32/hour in 2008.
Still without a vision except a desire for greater challenges than being a laboratory analyst, I accepted the first position that was offered to me without even knowing what it was.
In 2010 I found myself with a new boss with whom I had had a verbal altercation a few weeks earlier. I was extremely stressed and I was afraid that past events would bring down his wrath on me. Not at all.
Frankly, he was the best boss I’ve ever had in my career and he remains today someone I turn to when I need support and clarification. Thank you LP.
A professional revelation
In the span of one year, two events completely changed my professional life.
During my annual review, this same boss ended our conversation by telling me that, for me, ” the sky is the limit ” and that I had all the assets to succeed in my professional life.
For someone lacking self-confidence, it was a revelation.
Later, as part of my career self-management course during my MBA, which I had initially started to have a valid reason to leave work before 7 p.m., I had to work on my career plan for the next five years.
Life was sending me a message to stop going around in circles in my current position and think about the direction I wanted to take to achieve success and, more importantly, feel valued and happy at work.
This 5-8 page work was, by far, the most important document I have written for my career (well beyond the hundred pages of my master’s thesis gathering dust in my library).
Clarifying my destination and the different steps I needed to take allowed me to understand the actions I needed to take to make this vision a reality.
This vision was to become a caring manager who helps his teams to surpass themselves in order to help my employer achieve its objectives.
I used my professional life journey to draw a parallel with an important element when discussing the vision of great leaders: the leader’s vision is not limited to knowing the goal to be achieved and giving meaning and direction to the actions of the members of his team.
While this reality strengthens employee motivation and engagement, the secret also lies in the ability of leaders to inspire and motivate others. A leader who clearly communicates his vision unites his troops, inspires them to exceed their limits and work together to achieve common goals.
My former boss had a clear vision of what I could accomplish, of my potential at a time when my own limiting thoughts surrounded me with fog. I worked hard, I completed my tasks within very tight deadlines, but I lived the ” Groundhog Day “, concept of endless repetition: I accomplished the same tasks with the hope of different results which is absurd. I waited to receive an opportunity instead of creating this opportunity.
I was standing on top of a mountain in pitch blackness. When my boss gave me his headlamp, I could see the endless possibilities that lay before me.
A visionary leader builds resilience, inspires trust and unity by building a strong team culture. Their confidence and vision spread to their team members and enable them to achieve unprecedented heights.
As Morpheus said to Neo when he revealed the reality of the Matrix: “I can only show you the door, you are the one that has to walk through it”, I was and remain the only one responsible for the destination I will reach in my life.
Beyond achieving goals, the visionary leader guides his team to new heights.
Need help improving your leadership skills or building a culture of compassionate leadership? Don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll be happy to listen and provide you with the tools you need for the future.
Never forget: how does your mood impact your performance and overall attitude? Imagine if all your employees or co-workers were happy…
Carl-Michael Tessier | Coach in high-performance team development and tailor-made support
“Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” ~Japanese Proverb
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