Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DQ Week 3
Westcliff University
Colleen Meyer
11/09/2023
2
Class notes
- Envision the future by imagining and ennobling possibilities:
Elon Musk promises to go to Mars f.e.
- Enlist other in a common vision by appealing to shared inspirantions.
Leaders make a commitment to Envision the Future by mastering these two essentials:
- Imagine the possibilities
- Find a common purpose.
- Leaders are dreamers. Leaders are idealists. Leaders are possibility thinkers.
- It is this belief that also sustains leaders and their constituents through the difficult times.
- People want to believe in something important and with purpose.
- VISION:
A vision is a projection of one’s fundamental beliefs and assumptions about human
nature technology, economic, science, politics,art, ethics and the like.
Every leader need a theme or principle around which he or she can organize an entire
movement.
What is a vision? Ideal, Unique, Image, Future-oriented, Common good.
- Vision – Provide future direction –Be realistic on your goals – Motivating – Fully
communicated – Constantly following up and measuring – vision (it’s a circle)
- Company’s vision can shift
- Vision = north star
For example, students with a purpose in life rated their coursework as more
meaningful than students who did not have a purpose or had only extrinsic
motivations, such as making more money.
Furthermore, these students persisted longer when tasks were tedious and
consequently, achieved more in their courses.
Personalities:
- Blue: Control – Donald Trump
- Green: Analytics – Bill Gates
- Yellow: Family, routine
- Red: Mixed people, a little bit of everything
They can believe in the same vision – SHARED VISION. So you need to know how to
communicate to them in different ways.
Video takeaways
Christopher J. Elias is the CEO of PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health)
Judgement: Get the information you need to make good decisions. You almost never make
decisions by yourself.
Ability to listen and understand. Particularly, listen to different opinions than yours.
Leaders really need to listen, be tuned to the circumstances and cultures where they work, and
Decide when you need to be differentiating, clearly stating your opinion, and when to be quiet,
Collaborative leadership:
A leader needs to be self-reflective and think about what I need to do in the circumstances to
Be rational and articulate. Communication is important. If it's worth saying one time, it's worth
Everyone has their job, but leaders have the job of communicating the vision of the organization
So they need to be constantly in conversation with the rest of the team in the organization.
Vision doesn't happen on its own and also doesn't happen individually.
Leadership is hard work. You need to be passionate to keep up that hard work.
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Leaders appeal to common ideals. They connect others to what is most meaningful in the
shared vision. They lift people to higher levels of motivation and morality, and continuously
reinforce that they can make a difference in the world. Exemplary leaders speak to what is
unique and singular about the organization, making others feel proud to be a part of something
extraordinary. And the best leaders understand that it’s not their personal idiosyncratic view of
the future that’s important; it’s the aspirations of all their constituents that matter most.
To be sustained over time, visions must be compelling and memorable. Leaders must breathe life
into visions; they must animate them so that others can experience what it would be
like to live and work in that ideal and unique future. They use a variety of modes of expression to
make their abstract visions concrete. Through skillful use of metaphors, symbols, word pictures,
positive language, and personal energy, leaders generate enthusiasm and excitement for the
common vision. But above all, leaders must be convinced of the value of the shared vision
and communicate that genuine belief to others. They must believe in what they are saying.
Authenticity is the true test of conviction, and constituents will follow willingly only if they
Here are some actions you can take in order to enlist others in a common vision by appealing to
shared aspirations:
• Talk to your constituents and find out about their hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the future.
• Show that you listen to what they say by incorporating their inputs.
• Make sure that your constituents know what makes their product or service unique and special.
• Show your constituents how their long-term interests are served by enlisting in a common
vision.
• Share metaphors, symbols, examples, stories, pictures, and words that represent the image of
• Be positive, upbeat, and energetic when talking about the future of your organization.
• Have a reason for getting up in the morning, bouncing out of bed, and being jazzed about going
to work.
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Work Trends:
Globalization: Leaders highlight the importance of variety and international cooperation,
creating a welcoming atmosphere that values many viewpoints and cultural origins.
Technology: Encouraging a learning culture is key. Leaders advocate for continuous
learning and innovation, showcasing how adopting new technologies can significantly improve
efficiency and productivity within the organization.
Changing Demographics: Leaders focus on inclusivity and tailor policies to cater to the
needs of a diverse workforce, ensuring everyone feels valued and respected.
New Behaviors: Leaders embrace and support the evolving nature of work behaviors.
They encourage adaptive and flexible workstyles, incorporating various approaches such as
remote work, flexible hours, and hybrid work models. This requires adapting organizational
structures to ensure productivity and collaboration in diverse work environments.
Mobility: Acknowledging the shifting work landscape, leaders recognize and facilitate
mobility preferences, supporting remote work and flexible location choices. They adapt
organizational policies and infrastructure to accommodate these evolving work patterns.
Video takeaways:
I recently watched a fascinating video called 'The Art of Leadership,' featuring
Christopher J. Elias, the CEO of PATH. It highlighted some critical points about effective
leadership that really resonated with me.
The main takeaways from the video on leadership revolve around several key points:
The video on leadership and Chapter 6 both underscore crucial elements in rallying individuals
around a shared vision. They accentuate the significance of attentive listening, valuing diverse
perspectives, and integrating team input to shape a unified vision. Authentic communication and
wholehearted belief in the vision emerge as pivotal factors to motivate and involve others. Both
resources advocate instilling pride in contributions, utilizing varied forms of expression to make
the vision tangible, and ensuring continual engagement with the team. Overall, they emphasize
the leader's role in not only formulating a vision but also in fostering a genuine connection to it,
encouraging active participation, and sustaining enthusiasm. The concepts of genuine belief,
inclusive communication, and consistent engagement stand out as fundamental strategies in both
the video and Chapter 6 for enlisting others in a collective mission.
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References
https://static.inditex.com/annual_report_2016/en/our-priorities/sustainable-management-
of-the-supply-chain/
Jopson, B. (2022, September 14). Inditex ramps up production over supply chain concerns.
Financial Times.
https://www.ft.com/content/c43e281c-0a17-4392-bac7-9643fc47763a
Martinroll. (2021, December 7). The secret of Zara’s success: A culture of customer co-creation
zaras-success-a-culture-of-customer-co-creation/
Orwig, S. F. (2023, October 31). Amancio Ortega | Biography & Facts. Encyclopedia
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Amancio-Ortega