Full disclosure I was never able to actually buy my horse in the end. Yes, my dreams of riding Silver as a modern age Lone Ranger will have to remain just that, a dream. In fact, the whole notion got shot down pretty quickly by my key stakeholder group, led by my Chief Home Officer. You see, I did an abysmal job of explaining why the horse was a tremendous 3+ year plan, a better idea than a new car, kitchen, or summer vacation.
It's here where the business analogy comes screaming in. The Vision, however great, was only mine. I frankly did not articulate a shared vision for the horse to my key stakeholder group and how great it would be as an educational tool for the kids. Or what a great experience it would be to ride along the California coastal foothills or along the beach. Or how as a kid, I always wanted a horse and how it would fulfill a childhood dream. In the end, nobody else shared my Vision nor took ownership in making it a reality.
Communicating a company's Vision may be the singular most critical role of a leader or CEO. What is that singular aspirational goal you have for the company, and can the supporting management teams rally around a sense of purpose and shared inspiration? As the Vision begins to take shape, the CEO's role is to make sure every company member can articulate exactly how their specific responsibilities, strategies, executions, and metrics roll up to achieve that shared Vision.
So, communicate that Vision broadly and often. Make it an aspirational yet shared Vision with broad stakeholder buy-off. Ensure everyone feels a true sense of contributing to its achievement and then be prepared to saddle up and Hi, Ho, Silver. It's going to be a great ride!
