“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis
A vision is a guiding principle of our leaders’ decision. An aspiration, in this context, for the constituents who never had the glimpse of what it is like to live and experience a booming community where basic services are offered upon them. A leader with a vision is a deep and wide forward looking thinker. For a band of leaders leading a community of people who propel them to change, it is a powerful guiding statement that sets the trajectory towards growth and success.
INGREDIENTS OF A VISION
How does a leader become a visionary? It is like a premonition – a deep insight that awaits realization coupled with the physical vision that allows a leader to enrich his vision providing him more ideas presented as challenges and how to realize such vision.
Primordial to the leader in achieving his mission is the ability to motivate others to think like him and believe in his philosophy so that they become partners in the process turning ideas into reality. Also, it is equally important that certain qualities are possessed because a visionary leader is someone who has an inspiring vision and is forward-looking with innovation and most of all a risk-taker.
Other traits of a visionary leader is his adaptability to the present circumstances of change and imbibes in him new ideas with passion and commitment in his own vision not only on declaration but by his own deeds that inspire leaders like him.
Visionary leaders shape and reshape history – Steve Jobs and Mahatma Ghandi in modern and contemporary eras left their respective legacies have shaped history. Steve Jobs changed the world in his vision on technology and Gandhi in social change. They dreamed big and impacted the world but more importantly they have inspired other leaders and thinkers after them. They will never be forgotten.
RISK TAKES CENTERSTAGE
Obviously, political leaders who dream big are not a walk in the park. It does not come easy when a leader starts to realize a vision. He has to hurdle tons of challenges starting from his personal and family backgrounds, hurdling electoral challenges such as tarnishing his political image and finding fault in each and every program and basic service he delivers. His actions have constant opposition.
These risks and challenges may mean part of a democratic process but if it goes nasty and way out of hand then it becomes quite intolerable. Here risk at all fronts barrage your way not for the purpose of check and balance but to deliberately destroy the leader and his vision for the community of people he leads. Risk takes centerstage and it is up to the leader if he succumbs to the foolish challenges that come his way either to protect the person in him or to rise to the challenge and advance the well-being of his people and community over and above himself.
A true leader more than a visionary one absorbs all risks and challenges thrown his way because he knows that the most challenging path in achieving his vision and all other like-minded leaders when survived is the sweetest success of his people. No risk, no success
A VISION OF SUPER CITY
A vision for a super city for example, for a highly developed area integrating all infrastructure as well programs and services under a digitalization system is never far-reaching. It can only mean a hassle-free and convenient existence of life where hardship in the socio-economic affairs of the people is significantly reduced, and basic needs are addressed. Bacolod City can be a super city where there is an efficient transportation system, technologically assisted transactions that manifest a strong economy.
It has started to a certain extent with the harmonization of green spaces, digitalization and various socio-economic activities mostly diversified. This vision should be punctuated with sustainability. Visionary leaders embrace change but equally important, they anticipate risks. These political leaders deserve a chance. I’d take a risk on them.*
