A visionary leader is a person who has a clear idea of how the future should look.

They set out

concrete steps to bring a vision to life, and then they lead a team of people in that direction. In this
article, we talk about the key traits that make a great visionary leader, as well as some of the
challenges they may face. We’ll then explore a few strengths of visionary leadership and some
actionable steps you can take to adopt this management style.

Show Transcript

Key traits of visionary leaders

Visionary leaders are known for breaking away from what’s expected. They lead with intention and
enthusiasm in a way that makes their supporters happy to follow. We’ve outlined 13 key traits of most
visionary leaders:

1. Persistent

They don’t settle for “good enough.” Visionary leaders want to try new things, find new opportunities
and know how to stay the course. They are resilient and resolute. They never give up, even when
things get difficult.

2. Bold

They are tough and determined individuals who are not easily intimidated. They are prepared to fight
policies and institutions that have been in place for a long time. They are masters of resisting
pressures both internal and external. Visionaries aren’t afraid of failure, only of never trying. They
cultivate that same tenacity in their teammates as well.

3. Strategic

Strategic planning is a skill many visionary leaders possess. They can envision what they want the
future to look like, and then strategize on how to get there. Since they’re not detail-oriented, the
strategic plan may not include all the technicalities, but it will be a starting point for the big picture.

4. Risk-taking

Visionary leaders understand risks, and they are willing to take them.

5. Communicative

They are skilled at communicating their ideas and getting others to believe in them.

6. Organized

They are highly organized and pay close attention to the team they gather around them. Often,
visionary leaders are highly involved in systems analysis to determine who should be doing what
when and how often.

7. Focused
Visionary leaders can maintain focus. Once the goal is identified, the leader starts taking steps to
reach it, even when that means changing the minds of others around them. They work hard to display
the characteristics they want to see in their team.

8. Optimistic

Visionaries are inherently positive people. They see the future as bright and problems as temporary.
Those around them draw strength from their steadfast optimism.

9. Magnetic

Visionaries draw people to them with a welcoming, open persona that brings out the best qualities in
those around them.

10. Collaborative

Visionary leaders know that team member buy-in is much more readily achieved when everyone is
invited to participate in the creative process. They use the strengths of their team members to
balance their own weaknesses, and they embrace creativity and new ideas.

11. Innovative

Visionaries have a great imagination. They aren’t afraid to ask “what if,” and they instill a love for that
question in those around them.

12. Open-minded

Even if they are dedicated to the big picture in their minds, they can be flexible about how to reach
that vision. They can assimilate information from many sources to develop creative solutions.

13. Emotionally intelligent

Not only are visionary leaders intelligent in the traditional sense of the word, but they’re also
emotionally intelligent. They understand the power of feelings and are capable of showing empathy to
those around them.

14. Inspirational

You can find visionaries quoted in motivational speeches and self-help books. They know how to
make us passionate about a goal or vision.

Challenges of being a visionary leader

There are some challenges that could come with being a visionary leader, such as:

 Big picture leaders may miss important details. Some visionaries can force themselves to
develop the ability to focus on details, but this is rare. For this reason, it is much more common
for visionary leaders to hire detail-oriented people to work closely with them.
  Those with a visionary management style may sacrifice present-day circumstances on
the idea of the future. They may ignore important issues that need their attention in the moment
because they are so future-oriented.

 Visionary leaders may miss other opportunities because they are so focused on one goal.
They may refuse to change the plan or abandon it, even when it doesn’t make sense anymore.

Best practices of visionary leaders

There are many good practices that visionary leaders exhibit. A couple of examples include:

 Good visionary leaders understand the value of a mission statement. They know how it
can solidify the vision among team members. They begin a project with a clearly contemplated
plan that includes everything from processes to staff analysis.

 Visionary leaders are always looking for improvement. They actively seek out opportunities
to create buy-in from employees by improving company structures.

 Visionary leaders share the vision with the right people at the right time. They invite
others to give input and ideas so the vision is shared and not just the property of one person.

Tips for becoming a visionary leader

Whatever your natural tendencies, you can learn to adopt a more visionary leadership style. Here are
a few visionary leadership traits to start practicing:

Keep calm and be consistent

In any period of change, conflict is bound to come up. In times of conflict, practice deep breaths or
step away if you need to. It’s better to take time to process the issue than to react out of emotion.

Empathize

Empathy is an important part of leadership, and vital to good communication. Try viewing things from
a different perspective, even if you don’t like the point of view.

Practice good communication skills

Maintaining eye contact and asking clarifying questions are key when communicating with others.
Pay attention to the physical cues of the person you’re talking to. Look for signals that you’re being
understood and well-received, and be sure to keep your body language friendly and welcoming.

Be assertive

If you’re asking someone to buy into your vision for the future, you need to do so with confidence
while still being respectful. Work on maintaining an even tone of voice and setting forth concrete
assertions.
Vision is our view of the future. Vision is the portrait of our hopes and dreams. It is our mental picture
of what might be, but is not yet.

Vision gives us a sense of purpose and guides us as we work in the present. In organizations, a
vision statement articulates what the organization aspires to accomplish.

Visionary leaders energize and inspire people to work toward this future goal. They are able to clearly
and vividly communicate what the future holds. Visionary leaders anticipate what’s coming, both
opportunities and obstacles. They are able to connect the dots between various trends and events
and interpret how what is happening today might impact the future.

Visionary leaders work with the end in mind. They know where they are headed and why they are
going there. They are able to work in the present moment while also looking forward to where the
organization is heading. They provide strong direction for the path ahead and give well-defined
rationale for how the decisions of the present relate to the vision of the future.

Seeing Things Early

Visionary leaders see things and make sense of them before most others are able to. We do not
merely see the obvious opportunities, obstacles, or indicators of change, we also see the subtle
trends and discrete events that only a watchful eye can locate – things that appear disconnected and
are often found on the periphery of our normal focus.

Not only are visionary leaders able to see things early, we are also able to put various pieces of
information together in a manner that is coherent and makes sense. Despite being bombarded with
information from multiple sources, we are able to filter through what is important and what is not. We
are able to put seemingly random pieces of information together and draw logical and meaningful
conclusions from them.

Visionary Leaders Take Risks

Visionary leaders use the information we gather to take calculated risks. The information we glean
provides insights about the future that others often miss, and this information usually requires us to
act quickly in order to benefit from it. Once relevant information is known, doing nothing is rarely an
option for visionary leaders.

The degree of risk we face varies from decision to decision. Some risks are potentially costlier, and
some risks are more difficult to manage. Yet risk is a part of our lives, and while we can work to
mitigate risks, they are still a reality. Even doing nothing is a risk. In fact, the risk of doing nothing may
eventually be greater than the risk of taking action. I have always believed that if we are complacent
as an organization, we are at a greater risk of becoming irrelevant. This fear causes me to continually
question the way things are and to push our organization to explore new opportunities.

Communicate Your Vision

Organizations need a vision, but they also need leaders who communicate that vision. Employees
look to their leaders to provide an image of the future. Leaders who can clearly articulate their vision
inspire others to join them on the journey. The more excited you are about where you’re going, the
more likely others are to join you.
Sharing your vision, and being receptive to other people’s suggestions for that vision, builds a
common purpose. It helps people see the bigger picture of why they are working – it motivates them.
Leaders who can articulate a compelling vision for the future that connects with people will inspire
them to join in working toward that vision.

Very few large-scale visions have ever been achieved without the help of others. As a result of this
realization, I have learned that it is important to ask employees to share their thoughts and offer
suggestions for the vision of the organization. The insights they have offered have altered our
organization’s vision in many positive ways.

By including others in our thinking and planning for the future, we have created a shared and
inclusive future – one that everyone in our organization can feel proud of.