Vision: 3 Must-Have Traits of Every Successful Visionary Leader [VIDEO]

Visionary leaders are a specific type of leader. They are often the type of leader who will disrupt, innovate, and even, at times, change how the world works. Think of people like Steve Jobs. A visionary leader can take a team and move them to a place that they probably couldn’t get to on their own. They can inspire a team to boldly strive for and achieve new heights and unite an organization to take one giant leap forward. And to do this, it takes that one person who has a vision for something that nobody else can see.

I want to give you an example of what this looked like for Walt Disney. Walt Disney had a vision and a passion for EPCOT. Unfortunately, he died before it opened. His wife, Lillian, shared a few words at EPCOT’s opening. When they introduced her, they said, We are so sorry that Walt Disney never saw this. And when she got to the podium, she said, I want one thing to be clear. Walt Disney saw this before anybody. He envisioned Epcot before anybody could ever see it.

In the work that we do, we find that there are three key elements needed for a high-momentum organization.

1. Effective execution: Timely, well-planned implementation

2. Credible leaders: People who are viewed as trustworthy and proven

3. Compelling vision: A short, inspiring picture of your organization’s health

Today, I want to talk specifically about what it looks like to set a compelling vision. And truth be told, not everybody has this leadership trait. If you are wondering why innovation is not as strong as it could be in your organization, I would suggest that you look at this character trait and ask yourself if there is someone on your team who possesses the skills and traits of being a visionary leader.

Visionary leader characteristics are quantifiable and consist of key skill sets and qualities that can be cultivated. Here are three traits of a successful visionary leader.

1. You create a compelling vision.

The first point is simply this: you need to have the skills and ability to create a compelling vision. A compelling vision is really a preferred future. It is what you hope your organization will become. It is something out in the distance that neither you nor anyone on your team can do individually. But collectively, you can accomplish it.

For team performance to be at its peak and for you to perform your role effectively, there needs to be a clear vision and a long-term end goal. The people on your team have to know what your organization is trying to accomplish. Vision is about what could be and should be. It is what you hope to become.

People who create vision are thinking about a preferred future, solving a problem, making something more efficient, or creating a new and innovative product that no one else has made. This is the type of visionary leader that organizations need.

2. You actually make the vision stick.

Making a vision stick is the second key part of whether you are a visionary leader or not. As the keeper of the vision, a lot is working against you: life, time, success, the ‘Tyranny of the Urgent.’ You need both the ability to create vision and the ability to make a vision stick – to make people excited to achieve something together. There are a lot of people who have ideas and intentions, but to be able to create an idea or vision that people are moving towards is a unique characteristic of a visionary leader.

In 2020, we had the idea to create the Emerging Leaders Initiative (ELI) – a 5-day leadership development program for young leaders aged 18-24. And that next year, we executed it. It was exciting. We had a great group of attendees; they learned so much, and they loved it! However, you can create anything for one year, but in order for something to stick, it has to be sustainable. So, I was more interested in what years two, three, and four would look like than year one. It is one thing to have a vision. It is another to make it stick. For us, this program was that. We knew after the second year and into the third year that we had something that was going to last. And as we head into our fifth year holding ELI in our Dublin location, we have also been able to expand it to four other locations: Honduras, South Africa, West Chester, PA, and Boise, ID.

3. You mobilize leaders toward realizing the vision.

And here’s the third and final trait needed to be a visionary leader: You are a person who mobilizes people to the vision. Visionary leaders know that they do not have the ability to cast the vision and fully execute it themselves. They know how to mobilize people towards it. This means that you are delegating responsibilities because your primary focus is on where you’re headed. People who don’t understand this often get stuck in having to do everything. They are not good at delegating. They are not good at handing off a part of the project to one of their teammates and saying, “You run with this because this is an area that you’re better at and more skilled at.”

So let me review these three character traits of a vision leader.

The first is you can create a vision. You have a vision for something. You’ve been uniquely wired in such a way that you are often thinking about a preferred future. It is where your organization is headed. It is about new innovation. It is about doing something different.

The second is that you have the ability to make vision stick, where people are excited and passionate about what you’re suggesting and about the future you’re headed to.

The third part is you mobilize the people around you. You look at the people on your team and you say, “Who on my team can do this segment the best,” and you give it to them.

Visionary leadership is unique. But for teams to be successful, to innovate, and to shake things up and do something different, it is going to take someone who has these three character traits of visionary leadership.

For more guidance on how to cultivate the skills needed to be a visionary leader, contact us to speak with one of our experienced consultants and coaches.

Billy Dunn is a Senior Consultant at The Center Consulting Group and has over 20 years of church and nonprofit leadership experience. He serves as the Character Coach for the Lehigh University Men’s Basketball team and the Director of Ministry Leadership for Word FM. Billy has assisted with the launch of a number of nonprofit organizations and has worked with organizations and ministries across the world. Billy has an M.S. in Organizational Leadership and brings experience in the areas of leading change, leadership coaching, resource development, church growth planning, and strategic thinking and planning.