Powerful Leaders are visionary – they see the future possibilities and begin creating. Visionary leaders have the ability see further than others, and are able to leverage their support to coordinate action around themselves to bring their vision to life.

 “He who sees the furthest always wins!” – Eric Crowell

Some great examples of Powerful Leaders who built legacies on their “Vision” are: 

Henry Ford – The Founder of Ford Car Company

Henry Ford is one of the most well-known visionaries on earth. He is famous for his quote – “If I had asked the people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

Henry was on a mission to design and develop a simple, reliable and affordable vehicle for the average American. He recognized that cars were a luxury item that few could afford, and he envisioned a world where every American had the ability to purchase one.

 

Jerry Bruckheimer – The Creator of CSI TV Series

Jerry Bruckheimer created the CSI series back in 2000, a few years after the OJ Simpson trial. During the trial Jerry watched from afar as millions of people were glued to their televisions obsessed with the trial of the century. Like all visionaries, Jerry asked “Why”?

Why were so many people so interested in the trial?

Jerry realized that it went beyond celebrity; people were obsessed with the forensic investigation and the mystery of what would be uncovered. This foresight led to the development of the massively successful CSI franchise.

 

Ingvar Kamprad – The Founder of IKEA

Ingvar Kamprad may not be a household name in America, but his furniture business is – IKEA.

Ingvar was a natural born business man who saw an opportunity in the furniture industry. In 1948 Sweden, furniture was a luxury item that most people could not afford. This fueled Ingvar’s mission to develop and sell affordable, good quality furniture to the masses.

 

Steve Jobs – The Founder of Apple Inc

Steve Jobs revolutionized the computer industry with a vision of making computers accessible and affordable for all, and making electronics simple, elegant and easy to use.

 

Jeff Bezo – The Founder of Amazon.com

Jeff Bezo is the “King of E-Commerce”. With a passion for electronic retailing, Jeff saw the incredible growth of usage of the worldwide web in the 90’s and envisioned the possibilities of what could be; a place where consumers could go and find anything they wanted to buy.

 

Howard Schultz – The Pioneer of Starbucks

Howard Schultz’s passion for “enhancing the personal relationship between people and their coffee” sent him on a journey to transform how North America consumes coffee.

 

Walt Disney – The Founder of Disney Inc.

Walk Disney’s vision of creating a place for children and parents to have fun together was the beginning of Disneyland. With the simple mission “to make people happy”, Walk Disney saw what others could not – a magical park.

 

Bill Gates – The Founder of Microsoft

Bill Gates is famous for his vision of “a personal computer on every desk in every home.” Bill recognized the potential growth of home computers and fearlessly went forward. He saw a future where the average person could enjoy the flexibility of buying PC’s from many different hardware companies that would all run the same software.

 

Powerful Leaders Look at the Future Differently

Powerful Leaders have a different relationship to the “Unknown” than most people. Most people fear the “Unknown”; the lack of certainty and predictability makes them feel uneasy and creates a mindset of doubt.

Powerful Leaders view the “Unknown” with curiosity and intrigue. When curiosity overtakes fear – that is where the magic happens.

Going from “Fear of the Unknown” to “Curious of the Possibilities”:

• Curiosity about “What if?” and “What could be” rather than fear
• Desire to create something better than what is currently available
• Studying trends that are emerging and recognizing what’s on the fringe (recognizing peoples behaviors and what that means on a larger scale)
• Making client intimacy and strong relationships a real business priority
• Getting “Market Smart” – understanding who in our market is winning and why
• Communicating our “Differentiation Factor”
• Designing multiple scenarios to embrace the future

Powerful Leaders have the ability to see further than others because they are fearless and unafraid of “The Unknown”. They embrace “The Unknown” and seek out the new possibilities it opens!

Challenge: Over the next 7 days make a note of every time you felt fear vs curiosity towards the future. Create a list of how you could turn that fear into curiosity and possibilities.