In Old World Germany, the last decoration placed on the Christmas tree was always a pickle…carefully hidden deep in the boughs. Legend has it that the observant child who found it on Christmas Day was blessed with a year of good fortune…and a special gift.
Where are your dreams, goals and visions hidden?
One of the great dreamers of the twentieth century was Walt Disney. Back when Walt’s two daughters were young, he used to take them to an amusement park in the Los Angeles area on Saturday mornings. Walt was especially captivated by the carousel. As he approached it, he saw a blur of bright images racing around to the tune of energetic calliope music. But when he got closer and the carousel stopped, he could see that his eye had been fooled. H observed shabby horses with cracked and chipped paint. And he noticed that only the horses on the outside row moved up and down. The others stood lifeless, bolted to the floor. The cartoonist’s disappointment inspired him with a grand vision: Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Vision is everything for a leader. It is utterly indispensable. Why? Because vision leads the leader. It paints the target. It sparks and fuels the fire within, and draws him forward. It is also the energy that fuels the light for others who follow that leader. Show me a leader without vision, and I’ll show you someone who isn’t going anywhere. Stuck in the dip. At best, he/she is traveling in circles.
If you lack vision, a dream of your own, look deep inside yourself, drawing on your natural talents, gifts and desires. Look to your calling if you have one. And if you still don’t sense a vision of your own, then consider hooking up with a leader whose vision energizes you. Become his partner. That is what Walt Disney’s brother Roy, did. He was a good businessman and leader who could make things happen, but Walt was the one who provided the vision. Together, they made an incredible team.
– The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader
Ask any good Chef, while she may visualize see and taste the perfect meal. It is the quality of products, the equipment used, and the team she partners with that make her dish a tantalizing success.
FIND YOUR VISION, AND LET IT GUIDE YOU IN ALL THAT YOU DO.