Throughout history we have examples of what it means to be a visionary leader and how far you can go in motivating others. Abraham Lincoln sought an egalitarian society in which slavery would be abolished; Mahatma Gandhi wanted to abolish castes, achieve social justice and harmony between religions through non-violence.
Thus, with the ability to see beyond what is presented to us and project our minds towards those changes that we want to achieve, we achieve not only an internal panorama (organization) but also an external one (industry and environment). These two perspectives allow both the leader and his team to be prepared for the situations that arise during the execution of their projects and to contribute more effectively to decision-making and problem solving, thus achieving better results.
For me, the power of visualization to solve problems is part of what we call “the driving skills” (power skills). It is not only imagining a future, but also aligning our thoughts, emotions and actions to be consistent with that vision. It is putting into practice being flexible, patient and persuasive to prevent the team from falling into chaos, discouragement, unnecessary haste and negativism.
The changes we are experiencing have rethought or modified the vision of organizations and different industries. Many businesses have diversified, turning to digital strategies, better data management, and greater use of technology. Now it is not only a question of surviving, but of resurfacing, of transforming oneself with new goals and ideas based on an anticipated vision of the future.
Also, today’s problems become more complex. There are specialized roles, remote teams and organizations that work in isolation. This new work environment is putting in check the ability of companies to meet the expectations of their customers or partners, as they need innovative ways to address new daily challenges. Meeting these challenges requires the power of structured thinking and creative collaboration.
Visualizing a future does not necessarily lead us to it, much less at an organizational level. It is important to combine it with other skills and techniques. For example, for the initial moments of visualization, there is creative collaboration, structured thinking, or Design Thinking and for execution, the hardest and technical skills related to project management that allow defining plans, ways of working and adjusting depending on the results.