LEADERSHIP CAPSULE
equipping leaders with skills, weapons and tools to provide effective leadership for nations to ultimately fulfill the Great Commission.

Monday, 29th May, 2017

TITLE : The Leadership Lessons & Wisdom Principles From The Ants 7

Prov 6:6 Go to the *ant,* thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be *wise:*

Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no *vision*, the leader perish" emphasis added mine

#4 THE PRINCIPLE OF VISION

We're still considering the Leadership lessons from the ants. In the last episode we considered *preparation* and today I want to take an entire different approach by showing you some leadership traits in ants. Ants are a wise creature not only that ants are distinct in their morphology. Though ants typically have limited vision , Bulldog Ants or jumper ants can see and identify targets from about a meter away. Some ants e.g Bull ants have special kind of eyes called *compound eyes* that provide *excellent or advanced vision*. The compound eyes is specifically adapted for excellent vision. 👁👁

Why Leaders Must Have Vision 👁

True leadership always starts with vision. Every leader has a vision. You can't lead if you don't have a vision. Leadership is impossible without vision because every leader exist to fulfill a specific vision. Warren Benni's said _"Leadership is the capacity to translate a vision to reality"_ Great leaders have vision. There are very few natural visionary leaders in the corporate world. It is probably the most powerful tool in a leader’s toolbox. So what is a vision? How does it work, and how is it different from a vision statement?

Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”

Oprah Winfrey, at the age of 22, was fired from her job as a television reporter because she was ‘unfit for TV.” She is now world renowned TV presenter.

Steven Speilberg was rejected from film school, not once…not twice…but three times.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. He became one of the greatest basket baller in the history of sports.

Thomas Edison failed some 10,000 times before successfully inventing the light bulb.

What led these successful leaders to continue despite failure and rejection? Vision!! Vision!!!

What is Vision?

Let's begin by defining a vision statement and a vision. A vision statement is a statement of words describing where and what an organization wants to be in the future. It usually remains unchanged for many years. There is nothing wrong with vision statements. They have their place in the organizational structure.

In contrast,

• _vision can be defined as a picture in the leader's imagination that motivates people to action when communicated compellingly, passionately and clearly_.

• _Vision is a mental picture of the future. It is an idea of what the future can hold, but has not yet happened._

• _Vision is the thing inside of us that guides us. It creates a desire to grow and improve._

• _Vision embodies our hopes and ideals. It gives us a sense of purpose. Visions brings us flashes or glimpses of what is possible._

To be a *visionary,* a leader need have nothing more than a clear vision of the future. The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. There's nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're doing what we're doing. Leaders have vision. They share a dream and direction that other people want to share and follow. The leadership vision goes beyond your written organizational mission statement and your vision statement. Leadership vision is an essential means for focusing attention on what matters most; what you want to accomplish in your life and what kind of leader you wish to be. A useful vision has to be rooted in your past, address the future, and deal with today's realities. It represents who you are and what you stand for.

*So why is Vision important in Leadership?
*What's the impact of vision on leadership?
*Where does vision come from?
*How does a leader develop a clear vision for the future?

We shall continue this series in the next episode. Thanks for reading.

© David Oyeleye