In almost any situation there are leaders and
there are followers. Both positions are equally important, but to be a leader
who makes a difference, you need to be able to see the bigger picture in
whatever you’re doing.
Whether you’re just
earning a living, doing the best at your job or trying to leave an imprint on
the world, there is huge value in seeing the big picture. But seeing the big
picture sometimes isn’t enough. True leadership must have a combination of seeing
that big picture and also helping others to see it as well.
The following story
illustrates this idea:
One day a traveler,
walking along a lane, came across 3 stonecutters working in a quarry. Each was
busy cutting a block of stone. Interested to find out what they were working
on, he asked the first stonecutter what he was doing.
"I am cutting a
stone!" Still no wiser the traveler turned to the second stonecutter and
asked him what he was doing.
“I am cutting this block
of stone to make sure that it’s square, and its dimensions are uniform, so that
it will fit exactly in its place in a wall."
A bit closer to finding
out what the stonecutters were working on but still unclear, the traveler
turned to the third stonecutter. He seemed to be the happiest of the three and
when asked what he was doing replied:
“I am building a
cathedral.”
All three stonecutters
were doing the same thing, but each gave a very different answer. Each knew how
to do his job but what was it that set the third stonecutter apart? Perhaps:
Knowing not just how and
what to do, but knowing why.
Viewing the whole and
not just its parts.
Seeing a vision, a sense
of the bigger picture.
Having the ability to
see significance in work, beyond the obvious.
Understanding that a
legacy will live on, whether in the stone of a cathedral, or in the impact made
on other people.
As Peter Senge put it:
the responsibility of a leader is not just to share a vision but to build a
shared vision.
The traditional approach to creating a vision
for the organization has largely failed in most organizations because employees
have been unable to connect with the vision developed by management. Building shared vision requires daily
effort by managers. It must be a central part of their work.
Shared vision is an
essential component of a learning organization because it provides the focus
and energy for learning. The underlying force is the desire by people to create
and accomplish something.
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