Feathers & The Necessity of Vision

"I BELIEVE that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth."

President John F. Kennedy, May 25th, 1961

With those words, President Kennedy cast the vision for perhaps the most spectacular feat ever undertaken by the United States of America. His ambitious vision captivated the imagination of Americans, and it motivated the nation's brightest scientists and astronauts to  pursue a seemingly impossible mission.

No one, even a generation earlier, could have fathomed a man walking around on the moon. Consider that only fifty years before Kennedy's speech, most Americans were traveling by horse and buggy! In those days, sending a man to the moon would have seemed just as ridiculous as traveling backward in time.

Everything starts with a vision. And just like a map, everyone needs a vision in order to know where they intend to go. Too many people go through life as if they are Forest Gump feathers...just floating around wherever the wind carries them, waiting for their shrimp boat to arrive. For the most part, destiny is achieved by clarity of purpose and determined actions to take you where you want to go. The question becomes--where is it you want to go?

I've spoken with several students who have not discovered their vision. It is understandable that it takes time to formulate your ambitions. However, it becomes concerning when you hear students have no vision---and they are about to graduate from college! Rather than "Be all you can be", choose to "Be all you WANT to be!"

As an authentic leader, by developing a picture of what could be and inspiring others to accept their vision, you help them set their agenda for the future. Through vision, a leader initiates progress and motivates others to achieve what they never imagined possible.

Places Feathers could never go

Comments

[DavidBennett_]

Before developing and casting a vision for a team or organization, you must first do that for your own life. You can't lead others until you learn to lead yourself. Good points, Robin.