Leadership Principle #3 – Pyramid Power: How a Vision Pyramid Can Transform Your Business
Vision is a lofty word. But what does this really mean in a corporate context and why does a CEO need to be concerned with it? After all, it seems like there are always are more pressing concerns than discussing vision, like next quarters numbers or an upcoming investor meeting.
Simply put, vision is your north star or guiding direction for your organization. It provides alignment for your everyday activities. More importantly, vision is what draws people to your organization and provides a framework for the way people talk about your company. Vision aligns people and provides clarity around what you are trying to accomplish. The importance here cannot be understated. A business without vision is likely to fail in the long run.
Vision is powerful, yet it can be a nebulous concept to grasp. That is why I coach my clients to use the pyramid exercise when working on vision creation. This outline can help you create and communicate your vision by breaking it down into fundamental components, starting with the foundational values at the bottom and moving up to more flexible elements at the top. This structure begins with values at the bottom, followed by purpose, mission and strategy, topped with goals. If any of these elements are out of alignment, people will struggle to talk about your company because there will be confusion around your guiding principles.
However, it is not enough for you as a leader to simply define a vision pyramid for your organization– you need to communicate this vision – A LOT! You have to convey your priorities clearly and repeatedly, far more frequently than you might imagine. This piece is mission-critical! A company’s vision drives the day-to-day activities of your employees, so if you aren’t communicating these concepts throughout the whole organization, time and capital can be wasted.
Despite the effort it takes to get your vision across, it’s worth the effort for many reasons, including the beneficial effect this has on your company’s culture. Vision is what attracts people to the organization –employees, investors and customers. Vision creates followers. When you have a truly inspirational vision, and when people believe in this vision, they will be proud to work for the company, which in turn helps to foster a positive culture throughout the organization.
Yes – it will take time and effort and company resources to do this work, but the benefits provide an exponential return on your investment. I have coached numerous clients on assessing, building and refining their company’s vision. To have a discussion about how CEO coaching can help you with this process, contact me for a conversation.