The document discusses how to be a visionary leader by focusing on long-term goals and plans rather than short-term goals. It explains that most leaders focus on short-term goals like quarterly reports rather than developing a long-term vision for the future of their business over 10-20 years. True visionary leaders look beyond profits to create lasting change and positive impact. The document also outlines five skills of visionary leaders: thinking about possible future scenarios, understanding the impact is greater than their personal agenda, collaborating with others, being open to new ideas, and having a courageous mindset committed to creating change.

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POST WRITTEN BY
Susan Taylor
Nov 17, 2017, 07:00am • 1,898 views • #LikeABoss
CEO, Generon International. I help business leaders create purpose-driven companies that authentically align
with who they are.
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What is your company’s long-term plan? Not the three-year or five-year plan, but
the long-range plan, looking 10 or even 20 years ahead at the future of your
business. Don’t have one? You’re not alone. Most business leaders focus on short-
term goals, but they don’t plan for uncharted territories. They don’t plan for the
responsibility and impact their organizations should hold in the future. Conditions
can change so quickly — especially in this VUCA business environment — it’s hard
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to plan six months in advance, much less six years. It’s unsettling, anticipating
what will happen years down the road.
But that’s exactly what visionary leaders do: commit to a long-term mission.
Why The Short-Term View Prevails
Quarterly statements, annual reports, yearly profit and loss statements — leaders
aren’t given a lot of time to show achievement, especially if they want to invest in a
long-term and/or costly endeavor. Stakeholders demand immediate results, and
leaders are under constant pressure to produce. Like the coach who knows his
team is “only as good as the last game,” leaders usually have little room for failure,
much less one that is lasting.
And yet, the constant responding to the here and now means leaders spend their
time putting out fires, not having (or taking) the opportunity to advance their
agenda. It’s the difference between preparing for an impending hurricane versus
creating an infrastructure that addresses transportation challenges before an
evacuation is even needed.
What’s Your Legacy?
In the Broadway musical Hamilton, as Alexander Hamilton lies dying from a
bullet wound, he thinks aloud, what is a legacy? He then answers: “It’s planting
seeds in a garden you never get to see.”
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If you’re a leader too busy to think long-term, consider this: Do you want your
legacy or your organization’s legacy to be that you put out fires? That you met your
annual budget? That you submitted your quarterly reviews on time?
Or do you and your organization want to be remembered for making a difference,
within your industry, your community, your country … or even the world?
Truly visionary leaders look beyond profits and feel an obligation to create change.
Of course, businesses exist to make profits — but there’s a bigger picture. As part

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of an ecosystem, you as a business leader have a responsibility to — paraphrasing
the Boy Scouts — leave the world better than you found it.
Can Good Work And Good Business Mesh?
Look at Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, a client of ours. In his eight-year reign,
Polman has created a developmental strategy that goes beyond selling consumer
goods. He emphasizes sustainability as a core management principle and has a
deep commitment to reducing the company’s environmental footprint. One thing
Polman did was to put an end to quarterly reviews. He’s taken the approach of
longer-term understanding. No doubt he’s keeping track of the financials, but he’s
linking it to larger criteria.
And the market is responding. Unilever’s “Sustainable Living” brands represented
60% of the company’s growth last year and are growing 50% faster than the rest of
the business. Additionally, Unilever ranked at 38 on Fortune Magazine’s list of the
World’s Most Admired Companies Top 50 All-Stars — its sixth straight year on the
list.
It’s not just the market that appreciates companies with heart. Current and
upcoming generations of employees do too. Nearly two-thirds of millennials say
they won’t take a job with a company that doesn’t have a commitment to social
responsibility, and 85% of Gen Z says that companies have an obligation to
address social problems.
The market supports organizations having a long-term strategy and sense of
responsibility. The upcoming pool of potential employees demands it. Business
leaders — those who want to succeed — must demonstrate it.
Five Skills of Visionary Leaders
But how do you become visionary? As a consultant, I’ve noticed that visionary
leaders:
1. Think the unthinkable. Although leaders may not have precognition, they
intentionally anticipate all possibilities — good and bad. With the glut of natural
and manmade crises lately, leaders must not be afraid to explore worst-case
scenarios and envision how they can be addressed.

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2. Understand it’s not about them. Leaders understand that the impact they
can have supersedes their personal agenda and lifestyle. They can link their
organization to a purpose that benefits the world, over immediate return.
3. Play nice with others. Visionaries understand it’s not always an “us versus
them” scenario, and they are willing to collaborate where needed to achieve a goal.
Great leaders don’t let unnecessary competition get in the way of progress.
4. Don’t think they know it all. The most effective leaders understand they
may not have all the answers and are open to those who might. They encourage
new ideas from all levels and particularly appreciate the viewpoints of those
closest to the problem.
5. Have the right mindset. This is the most fundamental attribute of
visionaries. They must have a mindset where courage and commitment meet —
where once they understand the opportunity they have to make a difference, they
move forward bravely regardless of convention or criticism.
Becoming a visionary leader isn’t easy. It takes intention, effort, courage and
commitment. It takes both patience and relentless forward movement. Visionaries
know they may be misunderstood, but they withstand all these challenges because
what they are trying to accomplish has an impact that must be shared.