Selling the Vision
Why bother?
“It’s so easy when I want to and so
much more difficult when I have to”
Why the Vision?
Einstein wrote: “Imagination is more
important than knowledge – for while
knowledge points to all that is,
imagination points to all there will be”
The Magic Bullet!
Personalisation Transformational Leadership
The New Leader
“It is increasingly common to hear people say we are facing a crisis of
leadership. The ways in which organisations are moving forward can no
longer be comprehended through the same models, language and logical
analysis that have served the leaders in the past. The rationale leader has
got the organisation where it is – they will not be able to take it where it
needs to go!
The new leader will be both Inspired and Inspiring. They will be able to find
and hold a vision while enthusing others to share that vision. They will be
able to manage chaos and complexity while instilling enough stability to
ensure smooth daily operations. They will be able to change direction at the
drop of a hat (or politics) without losing the support of colleagues, staff,
customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. And they will be able to
manage creatively the emotional impact of constant change!”
Just a play by Shakespeare or
Transformational Leadership?
The arts playing a part in learning since the
1980’s?
1943 Laurence Olivier was encouraged by
Winston Churchill to make his film of Henry
V in time to raise morale for the D-day
landings. It’s great propaganda unashamedly
heroic and patriotic – not a traitor in sight.
Kenneth Branagh made his film after the
Falklands war and his version is dirty and
ugly, a political necessity, full of compromise
and potential dishonour.
The Story of Henry V
(and important Leadership themes)
Henry’s Journey
Act Five
Achieving
the vision
A call to the
imagination
Act One
Visioning the
future
Assessing the
past
Act Two
Allocating
Resources
Dealing with
the Traitors
Act Three
First Steps
Act Four
Inspiring the
troops
First Blocks
Turning the
Battlefield into
a garden
Act Four
The dark night
of the soul
Act One
From Vision to Commitment



Sets the Scene
Assesses the past
Visions the future
Shows Henry building consent around his
mission and visibly committing to it.
The chorus asks for “a muse of fire” that will
help us move beyond the “brightest
heaven of invention”
What’s in it for me?
•Benefits of the future position
•Create a vision in your mind
•
(see the future)
•Shift to “Outcome Framing”
Outcome Framing
The 4 Point Formula for Success
1.
2.
3.
4.
Know your outcome
Take Massive Action
Have Sensory Awareness
Have Behavioural Flexibility
Selling the Benefits
Bunker Hunt, the Texas Oil Billionaire, was once asked if he had
one piece of advice he could give people on how to succeed. He
said success is simple. First you decide what you want
specifically; and second, you decide you are willing to pay the
price to make it happen – and then you pay that price!
If you don’t take that second step, you’ll never achieve what you want in the
long-term. I like to call the people who know what they want and are willing to
pay the price to get it, “the few who do” versus “the many who talk”
Selling the Benefits
Choosing your attitude
“There is always a choice about the way you do your work even
if there is not a choice about the work itself!
We can come in with a “bad-mood” attitude and have a
depressing day. We can come in with a grouchy fed-up attitude
and irritate our staff, co-workers and our clients, or we can bring
a sunny, playful, cheerful attitude and have a great day – we can
choose the kind of day we have.”
Fish
Lundin & Christensen
Act Two
Traitors and Other Bad Habits
Act Two
Traitors and Other Bad Habits
In Act Two Henry must gather and allocate his available
resources, and identify and deal appropriately with those
who would oppose the mission before it has even started,
especially the traitors. In the play three traitors are
identified – Cambridge, Grey and Scoop (Henry’s Treasurer)
– who have been paid by the French to kill Henry before he
can set sail.
In any major project a leader should be able to identify the
forces ranged for and against them. The old habits and
behaviours that might get in the way of success
Naysayers, Critics and Traitors
(Saboteurs)
ACTIVE
RESISTANCE
PASSIVE
RESITANCE
NEUTRAL
PASSIVE
ACTIVE
ACCEPTANCE ACCEPTANCE
Friends and Kindred Spirits
Force-Field Analysis – Kurt Lewin
Act Two
Traitors and Other Bad Habits
Act Two
First though, we meet Henry’s old buddies in the
Tavern; Pistol, Nym and Bardolf. They are squabbling
about women, drink and gambling debts while the
erstwhile leader, Falstaff, is languishing in a sick bed.
“The King has killed his heart” they say. However, they
acknowledge that they must keep earning and decide
to go with the army to France, mainly for the looting.
A leader needs to be clear about how they are going to deal with their “old
friends” and whether those friends have a place at the top table. On an inner
level, a wise leader will also know their own “appetites”, the old habits and
behaviours that might get in the way of success
Changing the Habit
Creates the new
habit
Knowledge
What to, Why to
Skills
Desire
How to
Want to
Principles and Paradigms
PRINCIPLES
Natural Laws or Fundamental Truths
•
Universal and timeless
•
Produce predictable results
•
External to ourselves
•
Self evident and enabling when
understood
Principles and Paradigms
PARADIGMS
A Mental Map
•
Individual & fluctuating
•
Produce variable results
•
Internal to ourselves
•
Can be both limiting and empowering
Principles and Paradigms
PARADIGMS
THE ACCURACY OF THE MAP!
We make up many maps – but only two categories:
The way things are
(REALITIES)
The way things should be
(VALUES)
Selling the Benefits
Task –
Organisation
or Customer
Team
Individual
Understand and use the benefits of doing this – rather than just implementing it!
Act Three
Into Battle; First Footholds, First Setbacks
Act Three
Into Battle; First Footholds, First Setbacks
However grand the vision or the mission, we will still need:
•A practical place to start
•Systems & procedures to follow
•Some kind of project plan
•Practical plans when things get stuck
•Effective leadership and imagination to motivate
the staff through the blocks
Any seriously important project will have a crisis, a point at
which it seems almost impossible for the original outcome to
occur. That is when the leader meets the real test. They will
need to call upon all their skills to hold a line that will give
their people enough confidence and/or motivation to carry on
Act 4 The “Dark Night of the Soul”
Act 4 The “Dark Night of the Soul”
Sometimes the acting can make it
real. Henry cannot really want to be
out talking to his troops at three
o’clock in the morning.
But he does it because it is required
of him. He exercises visible
leadership. He is seen by others, and
he sees them, thus bolstering
confidence
Act Five – Achieving the Vision
“Turning the Battlefield into a Garden”
Many leaders get to where they are
because of their ability to fight and win.
Sometimes though this is not enough.
“Nurture the new territory rather than
look for the new target”
“Take the ‘armour’ off and build real,
lasting relationships
We few – We Happy Few – We band of
Brothers!