Leaders Need to Share a Compelling Vision

<p><em><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewEpLQWWQJXpY8cY3YxBIHbXx6h2FliyB0mwZtFm2Gc08e3HCNSid1aQ6i85OYZ_eA2YHOlU314CRKYOZK6_0znBidVsjo5JTkj9M8WNKpYTHwlttje9AIv-7hjhUAygnXLq1QZD1yH4zRjxVmDbNWUa6-RdDwWipcB6uSs5il4HdslWKE0lL5NCT/s3524/Michelangelo%20-%20Creation%20of%20Adam%201511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="3524" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewEpLQWWQJXpY8cY3YxBIHbXx6h2FliyB0mwZtFm2Gc08e3HCNSid1aQ6i85OYZ_eA2YHOlU314CRKYOZK6_0znBidVsjo5JTkj9M8WNKpYTHwlttje9AIv-7hjhUAygnXLq1QZD1yH4zRjxVmDbNWUa6-RdDwWipcB6uSs5il4HdslWKE0lL5NCT/w640-h290/Michelangelo%20-%20Creation%20of%20Adam%201511.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;">The Creation of Adam</em><span style="text-align: left;"> from the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, by Michelangelo, 1508-1512 (</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Creation_of_Adam#/media/File:Michelangelo_-_Creation_of_Adam_(cropped).jpg" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a><span style="text-align: left;"> - public domain)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></em></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>“For I dipp’d into the future, far as human eye could see,</em></strong></div><strong><em><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be.”</em></strong></div></em></strong><em><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1842</em></div></em><p></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"><br /></pre></div><p>We all appreciate attention to detail.</p><p>Teams and individuals who can spot errors and root out issues are valuable assets, saving us from embarrassment and headaches later on.</p><p>But without a clear and compelling vision — without a well-communicated plan — they’re going to be aimless. </p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap" data-attrs="{"url":"%%checkout_url%%","text":"Subscribe"}"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Michelangelo’s work on the Sistine Chapel is the perfect example.</p><p>He created sketches to guide his work, which helped his assistants understand the enormity of the undertaking and how the frescoes would tell a larger story.</p><p>While we’re used to seeing single panels or even a zoomed-in shot of one panel, when we look at the work as a whole, it’s even more impressive.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKF-5IqHOZvn0fHZwaQrQIfEd9_tZFQ2zOaAKTNwWNXJkyn7tQrmDbhYEy86kuMga3olpyVGQ-bkd0Tr3fVu1zhPwjaWfrdlyUAwRdiy4iahz8SjQUfEOVGjOYh9v4_bFeIEOlKWA1SRuJeampsgvDAeeoq8ZlGaGzGp1hqyAt-w6dGZ3gPf1Fa1gl/s1440/Michelangelo%20-%20Sistine%20Chapel%20virtual%20tour.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1440" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKF-5IqHOZvn0fHZwaQrQIfEd9_tZFQ2zOaAKTNwWNXJkyn7tQrmDbhYEy86kuMga3olpyVGQ-bkd0Tr3fVu1zhPwjaWfrdlyUAwRdiy4iahz8SjQUfEOVGjOYh9v4_bFeIEOlKWA1SRuJeampsgvDAeeoq8ZlGaGzGp1hqyAt-w6dGZ3gPf1Fa1gl/w640-h370/Michelangelo%20-%20Sistine%20Chapel%20virtual%20tour.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Sistine Chapel - virtual tour</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">When we know that we’re part of something bigger than the portion we’re working on individually, it gives purpose to our work.</p><p>I’m reminded of this essential part of leadership every time I drive down a local street.</p><p>Every year in the more rural areas of this road, crews have to cut back the overgrowth of trees and other foliage encroaching on power lines. It’s a necessary process, lest the lines get tangled or have the potential to be taken down by wayward limbs.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb72d8ad1-f94f-4abc-8657-948b9241a41b_638x851.jpeg" target="_blank"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><picture style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><source sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb72d8ad1-f94f-4abc-8657-948b9241a41b_638x851.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb72d8ad1-f94f-4abc-8657-948b9241a41b_638x851.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb72d8ad1-f94f-4abc-8657-948b9241a41b_638x851.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb72d8ad1-f94f-4abc-8657-948b9241a41b_638x851.jpeg 1456w" type="image/webp"></source><img alt="" class="sizing-normal" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b72d8ad1-f94f-4abc-8657-948b9241a41b_638x851.jpeg","fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":851,"width":638,"resizeWidth":398,"bytes":296400,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/jpeg","href":null,"belowTheFold":true}" height="530.8746081504702" loading="lazy" sizes="100vw" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb72d8ad1-f94f-4abc-8657-948b9241a41b_638x851.jpeg" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb72d8ad1-f94f-4abc-8657-948b9241a41b_638x851.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb72d8ad1-f94f-4abc-8657-948b9241a41b_638x851.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb72d8ad1-f94f-4abc-8657-948b9241a41b_638x851.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb72d8ad1-f94f-4abc-8657-948b9241a41b_638x851.jpeg 1456w" width="398" /></picture></div><div class="image2-inset"><div class="image-link-expand"><svg class="lucide lucide-maximize2" fill="none" height="20" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" stroke="#FFFFFF" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I have to imagine that the instruction is very bare bones: clear the branches away from the lines.</p><p>And the work follows that instruction to the letter, producing work like this:</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4b65784-da9b-4b3c-aeef-0b2633ea1744_390x339.jpeg" target="_blank"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><picture style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><source sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4b65784-da9b-4b3c-aeef-0b2633ea1744_390x339.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4b65784-da9b-4b3c-aeef-0b2633ea1744_390x339.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4b65784-da9b-4b3c-aeef-0b2633ea1744_390x339.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4b65784-da9b-4b3c-aeef-0b2633ea1744_390x339.jpeg 1456w" type="image/webp"></source><img alt="" class="sizing-normal" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b4b65784-da9b-4b3c-aeef-0b2633ea1744_390x339.jpeg","fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":339,"width":390,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":102176,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/jpeg","href":null,"belowTheFold":true}" height="339" loading="lazy" sizes="100vw" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4b65784-da9b-4b3c-aeef-0b2633ea1744_390x339.jpeg" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4b65784-da9b-4b3c-aeef-0b2633ea1744_390x339.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4b65784-da9b-4b3c-aeef-0b2633ea1744_390x339.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4b65784-da9b-4b3c-aeef-0b2633ea1744_390x339.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4b65784-da9b-4b3c-aeef-0b2633ea1744_390x339.jpeg 1456w" width="390" /></picture></div><div class="image2-inset"><div class="image-link-expand"><svg class="lucide lucide-maximize2" fill="none" height="20" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" stroke="#FFFFFF" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>But if we zoom out a bit and look at the trimming as part of the bigger picture, we see that while the team did do what they were specifically asked to do, they didn’t create something that blended with the local landscape.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26ac4122-09ee-48c5-82d7-83f84881baa3_1134x850.jpeg" target="_blank"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="sizing-normal" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/26ac4122-09ee-48c5-82d7-83f84881baa3_1134x850.jpeg","fullscreen":null,"imageSize":null,"height":850,"width":1134,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":459622,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/jpeg","href":null,"belowTheFold":true}" height="300" loading="lazy" sizes="100vw" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26ac4122-09ee-48c5-82d7-83f84881baa3_1134x850.jpeg" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26ac4122-09ee-48c5-82d7-83f84881baa3_1134x850.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26ac4122-09ee-48c5-82d7-83f84881baa3_1134x850.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26ac4122-09ee-48c5-82d7-83f84881baa3_1134x850.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26ac4122-09ee-48c5-82d7-83f84881baa3_1134x850.jpeg 1456w" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><picture style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><source sizes="100vw" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26ac4122-09ee-48c5-82d7-83f84881baa3_1134x850.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26ac4122-09ee-48c5-82d7-83f84881baa3_1134x850.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26ac4122-09ee-48c5-82d7-83f84881baa3_1134x850.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F26ac4122-09ee-48c5-82d7-83f84881baa3_1134x850.jpeg 1456w" type="image/webp"></source></picture></div><div class="image2-inset"><div class="image-link-expand"><svg class="lucide lucide-maximize2" fill="none" height="20" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" stroke="#FFFFFF" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>That is, they missed an opportunity to create something artistic as well as functional.</p><p>The power lines may be safe, but the sight lines are painful.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p><strong>When you help your team understand your vision and the broader goal, they’ll be in a better position to achieve greatness.</strong></p><p><br /></p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Thanks and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYDYbukyH53KIKB6U6t_GHOJ_5Nuuwcln-Y26HswSGLcyDVRfIAnOiplWbdAM6bXbX_v9kfE_K83F7X2AWYyqzLWCMw0ma6mq3nuZ6Y3LrzwECJ44hLlgohAbTi8INFaZQgQDvwrx2SDv9-YzFW36Q7_0-rFBcresU64qiUwOo4jzED1e8HKfSSfo/s800/Sig-Scott-Substack-Transparent.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="141" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYDYbukyH53KIKB6U6t_GHOJ_5Nuuwcln-Y26HswSGLcyDVRfIAnOiplWbdAM6bXbX_v9kfE_K83F7X2AWYyqzLWCMw0ma6mq3nuZ6Y3LrzwECJ44hLlgohAbTi8INFaZQgQDvwrx2SDv9-YzFW36Q7_0-rFBcresU64qiUwOo4jzED1e8HKfSSfo/s16000/Sig-Scott-Substack-Transparent.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><br /></p><hr style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><div class="preformatted-block" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre><h4 style="font-family: "Open Sans", serif, sans-serif; font-size: 18.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">👉 Premium Members get extras, such as exclusive essays and monthly leadership calls.</p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><div style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Join tens of thousands of others on this journey:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></h4><h4 style="font-family: "Open Sans", serif, sans-serif; font-size: 18.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="2028" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></div></h4></div><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><br /></p><p><br /></p>

Leaders Need to Share a Compelling Vision

The Creation of Adam  from the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, by Michelangelo, 1508-1512 ( Wikipedia  - public domain) “For I dipp’d into the futur...

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How to Build Accountability

<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQPuIDflw7gbXn4ZgQ4_xEYpIQIT48fSqRsiqVJMs1S2ERsh_4KjBNNKrXNjVBS8rJ9DEZCeS5I5jxpLMpttRNn6Ls2lyp9pSzdZwVjA4bqnV3msitBRlya2con-Er95zvFhh48kpPurQjrlrGv7OyZFUhCNm8ltmaR7PUnCqvNMHG0idBKH1NnEL/s1449/Leonardo%20da%20Vinci%20-%20Mona%20Lisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1449" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQPuIDflw7gbXn4ZgQ4_xEYpIQIT48fSqRsiqVJMs1S2ERsh_4KjBNNKrXNjVBS8rJ9DEZCeS5I5jxpLMpttRNn6Ls2lyp9pSzdZwVjA4bqnV3msitBRlya2con-Er95zvFhh48kpPurQjrlrGv7OyZFUhCNm8ltmaR7PUnCqvNMHG0idBKH1NnEL/w640-h470/Leonardo%20da%20Vinci%20-%20Mona%20Lisa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></p><figcaption class="image-caption" data-pm-slice="1 1 ["captionedImage",null]" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Mona Lisa</em> by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1503 – 1516 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa#/media/File:Mona_Lisa,_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci,_from_C2RMF_retouched.jpg" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> - public domain)</span></figcaption><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label></p><div class="preformatted-block" data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><pre class="text"></pre></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”</em></strong></div><em><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Ralph Waldo Emerson</em></div></em><p></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"><br /></pre></div><p>You’ve heard (or read) that Emerson quote before, no?</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap" data-attrs="{"url":"%%checkout_url%%","text":"Subscribe"}"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">It’s typically uttered when someone doesn’t like following a set way of doing things — call it the Disruptor’s Credo. It’s the perfect retort for the inevitable Defense Against the Dark Arts incantation “<em>We’ve always done it that way</em>.”</p></div></div></div><p>It’s not the consistency that’s questionable, though; it’s the foolishness. Mindless repetition without meaning or purpose? That’s the stuff of automatons.</p><p>Leonardo da Vinci wouldn’t have created a masterpiece had he followed what other artists had done or used a paint-by-numbers canvas. He created a new process and painted on poplar wood.</p><p>Process matters.</p><p><br /></p><p>One of the hallmarks of Alan Mulally’s tenure at Ford was a process he brought with him from his three decades at Boeing: the BPR, or business plan review. As an engineer, he appreciated a process and as a leader, this process helped make people accountable for their divisions.</p><p>When he arrived at Ford, the company was falling apart and it needed process discipline. The culture was one of fiefdoms that protected and hoarded information. Information is power.</p><p>As you might imagine, such a strong and intractable culture was resistant to the BPR. In fact, one executive told Alan,</p><blockquote><p>“Listen, Alan, one of the most important things I need to spend time on is the business unit, not getting distracted. I really don’t want to do this.”</p></blockquote><p>Alan’s response was simple: “Trust the process.” </p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><blockquote><em>“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”</em></blockquote></strong></div><em><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Lao Tzu</em></div></em><p></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>I had a client who was having a hard time getting his executive team aligned as they were trying to grow the business. Each member of the C-suite was talented, but they needed and received different levels of interaction with my client.</p><p>What’s more, each got different information and felt like other executives were held in higher regard by my client. Something had to change.</p><p>To create more certainty and consistency, I suggested implementing a standing meeting with a consistent format, with the aim of creating transparency and accountability. Each executive would present their results for the week, with successes or failures out there for everyone to see.</p><p>The point wasn’t to celebrate or embarrass them, but to show progress against the plan every week. When colleagues are struggling, it’s an opportunity for the rest of the team to make suggestions or follow up outside the meeting to help get them back on plan.</p><p>In the ensuing weeks, when the meeting reconvenes, the team can see how that issue was resolved (or not). The process creates accountability.</p><p>When my client was initially hesitant to try it or doubtful that his team would understand or commit to the structure, I had the same response as Alan: “<em>Trust the process</em>.”</p><p>Which meant that he had to participate in the process as well. As leaders, it starts with us.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>It really comes down to committing to a process for yourself first. In <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/i/47688988/why-is-consistency-important" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">an earlier newsletter</a>, here’s what I shared:</p><blockquote><h2><strong>Why Is Consistency Important?</strong></h2><p>Lack of consistency erodes trust.</p><p>And when it comes to your habits, you need to be able to trust yourself first…</p><p>Changing behavior takes time. But it’s the first step toward making broader changes that are essential for personal and business growth.</p><p>New behaviors — behaviors we’ve committed to with consistent actions — will make teams think about each other differently and commit to working together in different and better ways.</p></blockquote><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>A process is simply a consistent way of doing things.</p><p>Consistency creates trust.</p><p>When we build trust, we build accountability.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><hr /><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre><h4 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", serif, sans-serif; font-size: 18.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">👉 Premium Members get extras, such as exclusive essays and monthly leadership calls.</p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><div style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Join tens of thousands of others on this journey:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></h4><h4 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", serif, sans-serif; font-size: 18.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="322" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></div></h4></div>

How to Build Accountability

  Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1503 – 1516 ( Wikipedia - public domain) “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” — ...

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The Heavy Burden of Anger

<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyYBttFxHCO4LfPwElhy3H6QXHZ6WAkKF8Rhdmb_OM2FBNrec6qtfLOuY76e5RzEE49xovd0uYu0Od5yAx_eDCQs0tJSRpBwZRS_dn37r9EFEZpBxEUvd1Tf3ySUS76EFjf-gj8wAPdoQ-zE1n84W_8fuxZWuDwBfWUem6KZoAZ5KJvEGO2xKKjck/s1280/Pieter%20van%20der%20Heyden,%20after%20Pieter%20Bruegel%20the%20Elder%20-%20Anger%20(Ira)%20from%20The%20Seven%20Deadly%20Sins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="1280" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyYBttFxHCO4LfPwElhy3H6QXHZ6WAkKF8Rhdmb_OM2FBNrec6qtfLOuY76e5RzEE49xovd0uYu0Od5yAx_eDCQs0tJSRpBwZRS_dn37r9EFEZpBxEUvd1Tf3ySUS76EFjf-gj8wAPdoQ-zE1n84W_8fuxZWuDwBfWUem6KZoAZ5KJvEGO2xKKjck/w640-h482/Pieter%20van%20der%20Heyden,%20after%20Pieter%20Bruegel%20the%20Elder%20-%20Anger%20(Ira)%20from%20The%20Seven%20Deadly%20Sins.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;">Anger (Ira) from The Seven Deadly Sins</em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Pieter van der Heyden, after Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1558 (</span><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anger_%28Ira%29_from_The_Seven_Deadly_Sins_MET_DP818261.jpg" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a><span style="text-align: left;"> - public domain)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>“There is no more stupefying thing than anger, nothing more bent on its own strength. If successful, none more arrogant, if foiled, none more insane—since it’s not driven back by weariness even in defeat, when fortune removes its adversary it turns its teeth on itself.</em></strong>”</div><em><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Seneca, c. 42</em></div></em><p></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>It’s so easy to get worked up and wallow in a grievance.</p><p>A perceived slight, unfair advantage, or other complaint, real or imagined, can consume us if we allow it.</p><p>Consider Aesop’s fable about <a href="https://read.gov/aesop/042.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Oxen and the Wheels</a>.</p><blockquote><p>A pair of Oxen were drawing a heavily loaded wagon along a miry country road. They had to use all their strength to pull the wagon, but they did not complain.</p><p>The Wheels of the wagon were of a different sort. Though the task they had to do was very light compared with that of the Oxen, they creaked and groaned at every turn. The poor Oxen, pulling with all their might to draw the wagon through the deep mud, had their ears filled with the loud complaining of the Wheels. And this, you may well know, made their work so much the harder to endure.</p><p>“Silence!” the Oxen cried at last, out of patience. “What have you Wheels to complain about so loudly? We are drawing all the weight, not you, and we are keeping still about it besides.”</p></blockquote><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Aesop’s lesson is that those who complain most are usually those who suffer least.</p><p>And, more importantly, when we surround ourselves with complainers, we can become <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/12/twitter-facebook-misery-misinformation/621073/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">overwhelmed with their negativity</a>.</p><p><br /></p><hr /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>“Throughout the world, the more wrong a man does, the more indignant is he at wrong done to him.”</em></strong></div><em><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Anthony Trollope</em></div></em><p></p><hr /><p><br /></p><p>Consider those you hear or read throughout your day—those who complain of being wronged or marginalized. Are they really?</p><p>Or are those against whom they carry their grudge—those who were overlooked or stepped on thanks to previous oversights and biases—simply being given more opportunities than they were before, and <em>that’s</em> what’s driving the anger?</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>Grievance Works</strong></h2><p>Research shows that <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2024292118" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">animosity at out-groups</a> (those who are outside of our own social or ideological realm) drives more likes, shares, and comments.</p><p>Or more simply put, enragement equals engagement.</p><p>As a disgruntled employee or customer, it’s easy to give in to your bitterness and feed that anger. Without any kind of intervention, updates, or communication from those in charge, we find ourselves stoking the embers of our anger until they erupt into flame.</p><p><br /></p><hr /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>“Dread attends the unknown.”</em></strong></div><em><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Nadine Gordimer, 1998</em></div></em><p></p><hr /><p><br /></p><p>Without regular communication and empathy, were doomed to assume the worst and continue the pattern.</p><p>Some leaders find ways to manipulate people with fear and anger, but this is cheap and easy—clickbait for the masses. It will yield results, but long-term it’s neither healthy nor helpful.</p><p><br /></p><hr /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>“Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”</em></strong></div><em><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Yoda</em></div></em><p></p><hr /><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{"url":"%%checkout_url%%","text":"Subscribe now","action":null,"class":null}"><br /><br /></p><h2><strong>Defusing the Anger Bomb</strong></h2><p>Think about that member of your staff who seems constantly annoyed or angry. Maybe they’re the resident pessimist.</p><p>And the thing with pessimists is they sound smart. They place their certainty in things that have happened or things at which they can definitively point.</p><p>But at a certain point, we need to place our belief in what <em>might</em> be possible. It’s how we built the Brooklyn Bridge and landed on the Moon. Through dreamers, optimists, and those who refused to let anger or pessimism hold them back.</p><p>Instead of anger, you can keep people <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2022/06/to-hope-is-to-believe.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">engaged with hope</a> in what might be possible.</p><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">And when enough people believe, they can <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/collaboration" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">work together</a> to achieve more.</p><p>And that’s a much lighter load to carry than a grievance.</p><p><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnNaxq0-3uicS2PmnZULtReHOTda937rY9rDQoqwcvcZ7s6EcF6USiE8uifHSxE9myvqCiFJxhLFCznUkbgd2sJpIFnt9FiTrBy1kShmI2OhKc8JSC5KDsnBvrKhR1tMNNJgrGBhcZHwR4SMoDo7c-4eATD_tHzZ-iAuYj5KLFB442ZyTtruhjgsH/s1118/Sig-Scott-Substack.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #007abe; float: left; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="141" data-original-width="1118" height="80" original="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnNaxq0-3uicS2PmnZULtReHOTda937rY9rDQoqwcvcZ7s6EcF6USiE8uifHSxE9myvqCiFJxhLFCznUkbgd2sJpIFnt9FiTrBy1kShmI2OhKc8JSC5KDsnBvrKhR1tMNNJgrGBhcZHwR4SMoDo7c-4eATD_tHzZ-iAuYj5KLFB442ZyTtruhjgsH/w640-h80/Sig-Scott-Substack.png" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnNaxq0-3uicS2PmnZULtReHOTda937rY9rDQoqwcvcZ7s6EcF6USiE8uifHSxE9myvqCiFJxhLFCznUkbgd2sJpIFnt9FiTrBy1kShmI2OhKc8JSC5KDsnBvrKhR1tMNNJgrGBhcZHwR4SMoDo7c-4eATD_tHzZ-iAuYj5KLFB442ZyTtruhjgsH/w640-h80/Sig-Scott-Substack.png" style="border: 0px solid rgb(211, 211, 211); display: inline; height: auto; max-width: 95%; padding: 4px; transition: all 0.4s ease-in-out 0s;" width="640" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><p></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><h4 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", serif, sans-serif; font-size: 18.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><hr style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;" /><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">👉 Premium Members get extras, such as exclusive essays and monthly leadership calls.</p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><div style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Join tens of thousands of others on this journey:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></h4><h4 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", serif, sans-serif; font-size: 18.2px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="19521" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></div></h4>

The Heavy Burden of Anger

  Anger (Ira) from The Seven Deadly Sins  by Pieter van der Heyden, after Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1558 ( Wikimedia Commons  - public domai...

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