The power of vision: statements that resonate

I n a fast-changing world, the question for many senior managers is: ‘‘What leadership strategy is needed for my organization to stay competitive and to thrive?’’ To many academics and consultants, visionary leadership or leadership with vision as a core component is the answer. Although scholars, corporate trainers, and management consultants often emphasize the importance of espousing a vision and even suggest characteristics of an effective vision, no one really knows what such a vision looks like (Avery, 2004). In today’s corporate world, we can observe that vision statements appear with a wide variety of characteristics, as these examples demonstrate: