Page 33 - HBR Leader's Handbook: Make an Impact, Inspire Your Organization, and Get to the Next Level

Building a Unifying Vision 23

should be open for change, between what is genuinely sacred and what
is not.”
At the World Bank, for example, supporting economic development

through loans and technical advice is the unchanging yin that says why
the institution exists, while “a world free of poverty” is the yang, the

envisioned future.

What makes a vision compelling?

It’s not enough just to set a direction. A vision has to have certain charac-
teristics to be an effective motivator and strategic unifier.
A good vision is aspirational, almost dreamlike, simple, and compel-
ling. It’s the kind of statement that should make you want to be part of the
organization, to join in the pursuit of that vision. It has emotional reso-
nance. The vision also must be clear: if it’s confusing or vague, nobody will
follow it. Finally, it must be bold: you must push your organization to look
to the future, see around corners, and point toward something audaciously
far in front of it.
See the box “Criteria for organizational vision” for a checklist of these
criteria to use as you work on your vision.

Criteria for organizational vision

• Conveys a picture of the future

• Bold

• Simple and clear
• Emotionally compelling
• Aspirational

• Provides context for strategic planning