Why Your Teams Can't Implement Your Big Vision
October 2007
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Why Your Teams Can't Implement Your Big Vision
Imagine a great artist like Pablo Picasso working on creating his next masterpiece. He has a vision of complex artistic beauty coming into form. However, he has a group of art students that are working to help him complete this work of art. Everyday, a student has questions about why he is doing something a certain way or why he doesn't try using a different technique to get the art project done. Amazingly, you and Picasso have a lot in common. For whatever reason, you have an outrageous vision that is even more important than creating beautiful art that will be appreciated for centuries. You have been given the job of transforming society and people's lives. It sometimes scares you to death but you'd be miserable if you walked away from what you know you are supposed to do.
Leaders See into the Future
As a leader your job is to develop people and build an organization that can realize your vision. This requires the fortitude to know your own heart, the ability to engage other people's hearts, the skills to coach people through the inevitable obstacles, and humility. Many of the senior leaders in your organization don't have the experience or the capability to see the path ahead that you can see, let alone know how to get there. They are focused on making the day-to-day operations run smoothly and efficiently. Just like Picasso, you are the only person who can see the big picture in its entirety. And like him, you are also frustrated by the gap between what you see and how your leadership team is implementing it.
Big Visions often Lead to Chaos
When your team members don't fully understand what you are trying to accomplish, they will react in unproductive ways. They may get really busy at what they know how to do and avoid taking on new projects outside their comfort zone. Or they may argue and put up road blocks when they are asked to do something they've never done before. These behaviors are telling you that your team members need to feel your vision in their own hearts and have it chunked down into more digestible pieces. They probably need mentoring on how to succeed with their chunk and how it fits into your big vision.
Controversy is Par for the Course
Sharing your big vision with your team often leads to a lot of complaining, resistance, and silent dissent. When most people are asked to go into unknown territory, their fears about the future get stirred up. Guess who is the lightning rod for all those fears, concerns, and worries? You are. Guess what's driving all of that chaos you are noticing? Anxiety always accompanies transformation. You must effectively guide your team beyond their concerns into more productive collaboration. How can you do this if you are not able to move people beyond their fears, especially if they are not open and honest about them? You will likely need help.
Staff Members are not Wild about your Big Vision Immediately
Asking your leadership team to implement something new and unknown will also draw a lot of negative attention from their staff. Your leadership team will want to avoid receiving this kind of flak from their direct reports, so they dismiss your vision, and you as well, by focusing on your shortcomings. Even though this chaos is costing you precious time, you know that managing through this kind of adversity will build everyone's leadership skills, including your own.
Sometimes it's Too Much for You As Well
Your most exciting vision is often scary as hell even thinking about it by yourself. You know you will have to change, be more vulnerable and figure out how to enroll people to join you out there on the edge where it's really uncomfortable. Add on top of that all of your day-to-day responsibilities and you have a perfect recipe for overwhelm. Since your team is focusing elsewhere, you don't have anyone whom you can share your anxieties or frustrations with. You think sharing your big concerns would be counter-productive to getting people on-board. So where can you get the support and guidance that you need? Where can you get insight into moving your team through their concerns too?
In-sourcing your Leadership
Solutions to difficult problems are often the result of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Working through each person's concerns takes valuable time you could be putting toward manifestingyour big vision. When you are seeking greater clarity, there is a powerful way to find it. Your heart has an intuitive ability to see solutions to complex problems. That's where your big vision came from in the first place. Do you think you'll be given an important job to do without the wherewithal to make it happen? You will fail only if you forget to consult your heart each time you need to deal with any overwhelm you are feeling. Clearing your doubts and concerns, helps you see your next steps more clearly.
At LionHeart, we teach leaders like you how to access your heart's own guidance and reset your internal compass when you get off course. When you are back on track, we help you get your entire team working and collaborating on the same vision.
Listening with New Ears, Seeing with New Eyes
Have you ever had a direct report come to you with their iron-clad version of why they can't move forward? As you explored this further, you found out that the real obstacle was different from what they'd first reported. Through learning to listen through the wisdom of your heart, you can identify the real obstacles holding your people back more quickly. You will waste much less time, chasing the wrong problem or beating around the bush with what you see they need to do. You will bring the best out of your people because you will be consistently accessing your highest intentions and most important values. And you will be working with them from a state of internal confidence that only comes when you surrender to the truth of what you know is your own highest road. Your help comes from listening to your own heart. Anything less is at least unsatisfying, and at worst the road to failure.
Summary
Accepting and implementing your big vision, can be an extremely scary and frustrating challenge. Your team members don't have the experience or the perspective to grasp or appreciate the contribution your organization has for the world. They need regular guidance to do their part to bring your big vision to fruition. Asking them to go into unknown territory will often bring up their fears, concerns, and feelings of inadequacy. Most people need to be educated and guided step by step to transform reality. They need your support to make sure they are doing what is necessary to succeed.
Though following the clarity in your heart, you can lead your team to realize the outrageous future you can imagine. Your heart has what you need to leave behind your overwhelm and frustration while you provide your team members the direction they need to succeed beyond their own wildest dreams. Just like Picasso, you can make your big vision a reality. Your strongest tools are the values and inspiration that reside in your own heart, and knowing how to find your heart's guidance when you lose track of it.