Noble visions almost always require the help of others to see them fulfilled. Simply put, without a team, most visions will fail to come to fruition. Leaders need skills beyond their capacity, resources beyond their own, and more time than one human has available to them. Without the help of a team, they will never see the vision come to pass.
While this is true, not every team member is capable or willing of supporting the vision. In other words, not every team member sees the leader’s vision the same. In general, team members can see an organization’s vision from five different angles.
1. An Inspiring Future to Support
These team members are fully bought into the vision for the future. It’s an inspiring picture that they willingly align themselves with and contribute to see it fulfilled. These team members bring great value to the organization for two reasons.
First, they’ve chosen to invest their time, talent, energy, resources, and influence into seeing the vision come to pass. Second, they actively create forward movement rather than sideways energy in the organization. These are the team members every leader hopes for when they cast compelling vision for the future. When a team member actively supports the vision, leaders need to actively express their appreciation for the team member’s support, effort, and contribution.
2. A Confusing Picture to Clarify
These team members want to support the organization’s vision, but they’re limited in their ability to do so. Why? Because they don’t yet understand it. Simply put, they lack clarification. These are the quickest team members to get on board because all they need is for the leader to bring clarity to the picture they see for the future.
Whether it’s in a group meeting or a one-on-one, the leader needs to communicate the vision with extreme clarity and then provide the opportunity privately for questions and answers. Clarity is kind when it comes to vision casting. It helps team members see and support the vision for the organizations future.
3. A New Direction to Depart
Team members who view the vision as a new direction to depart from are those who realize the organization’s vision is no longer something they are passionate about. Therefore, rather than creating waves, they choose to depart the organization and work somewhere else.
This is not a bad thing. Team members who have the self-awareness to see this reality, and then leave on good terms, exhibit a tremendous amount of character. On the other hand, those who collect a paycheck week after week from an employer whose vision they can no longer support exhibit very little character. When a team member acts honorably in their realization that it’s time leave, a good leader will affirm their decision, express appreciation for their honesty and integrity, and honor them in the process. It’s a mutually beneficial process.
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4. A Frustrating Annoyance to Work Around
These team members don’t view the vision as something to support, but something to ignore. They have an alternative vision, usually a personal agenda, that’s more important to them. Their vision is usually a pet project or a personal preference. In some cases, it’s a tradition to hold onto or an outdated initiative that they can’t let go of.
Whatever the case, these team members view the leader’s vision as a frustrating annoyance to figure out how to work around. Failure to address these team members will only lead to disengagement, dysfunction, disunity, and the poor stewardship of organizational resources.
5. A Perilous Threat to Oppose
These team members are not only opposed to the leader’s vision, but they actively look for ways to sabotage it. They will use their influence to dissuade others from following the leader or supporting the vision. They’ll create secret alliances that turn team members toward themselves and against the leader.
These individuals aren’t team members at all. They’re operating at the highest levels of disengagement and have become an active and blatant opposer to the organization’s vision for the future. Leaders must address these individuals quickly and hold them accountable.
Every team member will generally fall into one of these five categories when it comes to the organization’s vision for the future. Therefore, a leader needs the discernment to see clearly, and team members need the wisdom to support the vision, gain clarity from the leader, or leave the organization peacefully and honorably.
Let me conclude with one final thought: Not every vision is for every team member. And that’s okay. What’s not okay is for leaders to abuse their influence to manipulate or control team members so they can get their way with the vision. Nor is it okay for team members to create division, disunity, derail the vision, or quietly disengage. Whether you’re the leader or the team member, your response in moments like these matters immensely.
