Very often it is assumed that leaders have the sole responsibility to be the

visionaries.

However, the people in an organization want to hear more than just the leaders
vision. The central task for leaders is inspiring a shared vision, not selling
their personal view of the world. People want to be a part of the vision
development process. They want to walk alongside their leaders. So inorder to
ensure this, a leader must strengthen his ability to listen to what is important
for others. Through intense listening, leaders get a sense of what people want,
what they value,what they dream about which in turn leads to generating an exciting
workplace. People stay
with an organization because there is more to work than just making money. People
have a deep desire to make a difference. They desire integrity, purpose,
challenging work, growth as well as autonomy apart from just the financial reward.
So an effective leader is the one who sets a mission that calls for everyone,
communicate the same as well as address the long-term significance of the
organizations work. Hence, its important to understand that poeple commit to the
causes and not just to the plans.

The next is looking ahead in times of rapid change especially in the wrold we live
today which is volatile, uncertain,complex and ambigious. In times like these, it
is paramount for a leader to be extremeny clear about the vision. Clarity of the
vision helps in inspiring hope and anticipate unexpected setbacks. Hence to become
a leader, one must be able to envision the future as well as see beyond today's
problems.