VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

Visionary leaders are the builders of a new dawn, making use of creativity, insight, and boldness. They
put forward a challenge that calls forth the best in people and puts them together around a shared
sense of purpose. They work with the power of intentionality and help people find a higher purpose.
Their eyes are on the horizon; they are political, business, social innovators and change agents, capable
of seeing the overall scenario and strategic in their thinking.

A visionary may dream miraculous visions of the future and articulate them with great inspiration. A
visionary leader is not only good with words but with activities as well. It requires heart-felt
commitment.

A visionary leader is effective in exhibiting his or her vision because s/he sets well-defined and
accomplishable objectives, triggers off action and enlists the contribution of others. It requires core
values, clear vision, empowering relationships, and innovative action.

Great Video on the 3 most important Leadership Characteristics

CLEAR INSPIRATIONAL VISION

Visionaries who are successful at manifesting their visions base their leadership on an inspirational,
positive picture of the days to come, as well as a clear sense of direction as to how to get there. Vision is
a field that brings energy into form. Effective leaders broadcast a coherent message by themselves
embodying their vision. Nelson Mandela clearly held a positive vision of a racially harmonious South
Africa during his 28 years in jail and helped bring it into reality peacefully-- to the amazement of the
world. I urge you to see the movie ‘Invictus’.

“I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself. “

Nelson Mandela

The best visionary leaders move energy to a higher level by providing a definite picture of what is
attainable. They inspire people to be better than they already are. This was the power of Martin Luther
King’s “I have a dream” speech. The creative power of motivational words can sound a certain inner
note that people realize and respond to.

Visionary leaders impart energy to people, making them confident in attaining goals. Television host
Oprah Winfrey helps her guests believe in themselves and make effort to build a better world. She is the
number one Talk Show host! President Obama, won the elections with three words, “Yes We
Can”,giving people ‘Hope’ and yearning to see ‘Change’ happen.

When we look around us here in Singapore, the world sees clearly the vision of leaders like Goh Keng
Swee and Lee Kwan Yew. A small country originating enormous waves because of a clear and powerful
vision. On the business front, Kwek Leng Beng from CDL, Ho KwonPing of Banyan Tree, the late Ng Teng
Fong of Far East, and J.Y. Pillay for Singapore Airlines have all achieved recognition because of a vision
that paved the way forward. “Where there is no vision the people perish.” – The Bible

INNOVATIVE COURAGEOUS ACTION

Visionary leaders are especially noted for transforming paradigms, and developing strategies that are
“outside the box” of conventional thought. They think in a broad and systematic way, seeing the big
picture, and “the pattern that connects.” They then develop innovative strategies for actualizing their
vision. CNN founder Ted Turner transformed television news by boldly making an around-the-clock
international news network.

Visionary leaders anticipate change and are proactive, rather than reactive to events. Their focus is on
opportunities, not on problems. They give emphasis on win/win--rather than adversarial win/lose--
approaches. Becoming a Visionary Leader does require a cirtain "psycholgoy" for Leadership
Development

Body Shop founder Anita Roddick’s vision addressed health and environmental problems, as well as
poverty in the Third World, through the innovative strategies she designed for her hugely successful
products and stores. Products are made of non-polluting ingredients and stores were opened in poor
neighbourhoods to provide employment and return profit to the community.

Many of us keep away from the responsibility of visionary leadership primarily due to the fact that we
are very much afraid of criticism or failure. Today, as we enter the Third Millennium, new visionary
leaders are emerging. Will you rise to the need and challenge?

If you want one year of prosperity,

grow the business contributing units,

If you want ten years of prosperity,

grow the contributing territories,

If you want one hundred years of prosperity,

grow the contributing people.

What is a Fortune 500 Company?

Characteristics of Fortune 500 Company

(1) Vision --Fortunate 500 companies have a clear vision stemming from top management as to what
they are about and what they want to be. This vision is clearly communicated to all employees and used
on a daily basis for making decisions.

(2) Empowerment --Employees are treated as though they are partners, not slaves, to the business. The
organization expects a lot from every employee, but is willing to help employees do their job with
minimal barriers. Employees are expected to constantly be learning new skills and growing, and the
organization provides training and career development options to facilitate that growth.

(3) Performance --Employee performance is measured and monitored in a way that encourages optimal
performance. Goals are set for all major areas for performance, and feedback is routinely provided as to
how employees are doing against those goals.

(4) Team Approach --Employees are organized as much as possible into teams to facilitate the best
means for solving problems, building morale, and creating synergy for achieving group and
organizational goals.

(5) Customer Service --Customers are treated as if they are the most important part of the business,
which they are. Every employee and manager seeks to serve the customer or support those employees
that are doing so.

(6) Quality --The organization prides itself on producing quality goods and services all the time. The
company knows that long-term success depends in large part upon the long-term reputation of the
company and so consistently seeks to develop lasting, quality relationships and to build quality
products.

(7) Communication --Management knows that communication is the oil that keeps the company
operating smoothly. It seeks to communicate frequently to employees at all levels of the organization
and to allow optimal opportunity for employees to communicate in any direction within the
organization.

(8) Ethics --The company expects all employees to be ethical and to act on a daily basis in a way that is
consistent with this belief.

(9) Wellness --The organization is concerned with the wellness of its employees, knowing that having a
healthy workforce is a practical business decision as well in terms of employees having more energy and
less absenteeism for illness.
(10) Profit --The company is profitable because being so is necessary to survive, but does not treat this
objective as its sole purpose for being.

Now that we have laid out the characteristics of a Fortune 500 company, how can an organization
become such a company? Achieving this goal comes more from managing the journey than just
announcing the destination.

Effective change must be monitored to ensure progress is made.

How to become a Fortune500 Company

There are seven steps that should be taken to start the journey.

1. Articulate values. Top management needs to establish a clear set of values that they want the
organization --- and its employees --- to represent. This would include specific descriptions of what each
value would look like in practice on a daily basis, as well as a methodology for measuring each practice
on an ongoing basis.

2. Identify and describe key organizational practices. Key organizational practices need to be assessed
to determine a baseline of current business operations. This information would come from a variety of
methods including interviews, historical documents, observation of operational meetings, and so on.

3. Compare values with practices. The extent and nature of alignment (or misalignment) of the actual
practices of the organization versus its stated values is then determined. It is helpful in this step to
obtain additional information from focus groups, employee and customer surveys, and to conduct an
analysis of practices compared with the experience of other companies.

4. Establish priorities for realignment. Issues and priorities regarding alignment of organizational
practices with stated values are then itemized. Changes that are deemed to have the greatest impact
are scheduled to be made first.

5. Recommend changes and implementation strategy. The required changes are defined and integrated
with one another to create a vision of how the company would be run based on today’s information,
products and markets. This vision includes a process for continual change as new information or
priorities dictate. An implementation strategy and timeline is then developed.

6. Make desired changes. Alignment changes are made with care being taken that they are effectively
integrated with existing organizational practices. This requires the combined and managed efforts of
many people in the organization over a period of one to three years. Involvement of people is a key way
to build commitment. Outside expertise may be helpful in specific areas, such as business planning,
management training, performance management, team building, customer responsiveness,
compensation and reward systems.
7. Monitor progress. A process for measuring the organization’s on-going performance and progress is
developed and installed. An effective monitoring system helps maintain the appropriate degree of
involvement by employees at all levels of the organization, and alerts management to the needs for
mid-course corrections as they are needed.

Managing the Journey

Making necessary changes in the organization is an important step. But, to sustain the changes, and
manage the journey over the long-term, there are four systems that should be in place:

Accountability system. Everybody needs to have a clear understanding of whose responsibility it is to do

what. People need to know where the organization is headed and what constitutes exceptional
individual or group performance. The primary reason that change does not last in most organizations is
that people don’t know what is expected of them.

Information system. So often in organizations, only financial data is gathered and is distributed only to
top management. Other key indicators that relate to performance areas also need to be tracked.
Information on performance has to be made available to those people who can best use it --- those
doing the work.

Feedback system. The number one motivator of people is feedback on results. It is difficult for people to
correct and improve their performance if they do not have feedback about how they are doing. In the
feedback system, managers add value --- mainly through praise --- to the objective information being
tracked throughout the organization.

Recognition system. For change to last, good and superior performance has to be acknowledged. If
current performance is below expectations, you have to reprimand or provide training as appropriate.
To continue in the long term, good performance has to be treated differently than poor performance.

Cheers

What is a Fortune 500 Company?

Characteristics of Fortune 500 Company

(1) Vision --Fortunate 500 companies have a clear vision

stemming from top management as to what they are about
and what they want to be. This vision is clearly
communicated to all employees and used on a daily basis
for making decisions.

(2) Empowerment --Employees are treated as though

they are partners, not slaves, to the business. The
organization expects a lot from every employee, but is
willing to help employees do their job with minimal
barriers. Employees are expected to constantly be learning
new skills and growing, and the organization provides
training and career development options to facilitate that
growth.

(3) Performance --Employee performance is measured

and monitored in a way that encourages optimal
performance. Goals are set for all major areas for
performance, and feedback is routinely provided as to how
employees are doing against those goals.

(4) Team Approach --Employees are organized as much

as possible into teams to facilitate the best means for
solving problems, building morale, and creating synergy
for achieving group and organizational goals.

(5) Customer Service --Customers are treated as if they

are the most important part of the business, which they
are. Every employee and manager seeks to serve the
customer or support those employees that are doing so.
(6) Quality --The organization prides itself on producing
quality goods and services all the time. The company
knows that long-term success depends in large part upon
the long-term reputation of the company and so
consistently seeks to develop lasting, quality relationships
and to build quality products.

(7) Communication --Management knows that

communication is the oil that keeps the company
operating smoothly. It seeks to communicate frequently to
employees at all levels of the organization and to allow
optimal opportunity for employees to communicate in any
direction within the organization.

(8) Ethics --The company expects all employees to be

ethical and to act on a daily basis in a way that is
consistent with this belief.

(9) Wellness --The organization is concerned with the

wellness of its employees, knowing that having a healthy
workforce is a practical business decision as well in terms
of employees having more energy and less absenteeism for
illness.

(10) Profit --The company is profitable because being so

is necessary to survive, but does not treat this objective as
its sole purpose for being.

Now that we have laid out the characteristics of a Fortune

500 company, how can an organization become such a
company? Achieving this goal comes more from managing
the journey than just announcing the destination.

Effective change must be monitored to ensure progress is

made.

How to become a Fortune500 Company

There are seven steps that should be taken to start the

journey.

1. Articulate values. Top management needs to

establish a clear set of values that they want the
organization --- and its employees --- to represent. This
would include specific descriptions of what each value
would look like in practice on a daily basis, as well as a
methodology for measuring each practice on an ongoing
basis.

2. Identify and describe key organizational

practices. Key organizational practices need to be
assessed to determine a baseline of current business
operations. This information would come from a variety of
methods including interviews, historical documents,
observation of operational meetings, and so on.
3. Compare values with practices. The extent and
nature of alignment (or misalignment) of the actual
practices of the organization versus its stated values is
then determined. It is helpful in this step to obtain
additional information from focus groups, employee and
customer surveys, and to conduct an analysis of practices
compared with the experience of other companies.

4. Establish priorities for realignment. Issues and

priorities regarding alignment of organizational practices
with stated values are then itemized. Changes that are
deemed to have the greatest impact are scheduled to be
made first.

5. Recommend changes and implementation

strategy. The required changes are defined and
integrated with one another to create a vision of how the
company would be run based on today’s information,
products and markets. This vision includes a process for
continual change as new information or priorities dictate.
An implementation strategy and timeline is then
developed.

6. Make desired changes. Alignment changes are made

with care being taken that they are effectively integrated
with existing organizational practices. This requires the
combined and managed efforts of many people in the
organization over a period of one to three years.
Involvement of people is a key way to build commitment.
Outside expertise may be helpful in specific areas, such as
business planning, management training, performance
management, team building, customer responsiveness,
compensation and reward systems.

7. Monitor progress. A process for measuring the

organization’s on-going performance and progress is
developed and installed. An effective monitoring system
helps maintain the appropriate degree of involvement by
employees at all levels of the organization, and alerts
management to the needs for mid-course corrections as
they are needed.

Managing the Journey

Making necessary changes in the organization is an

important step. But, to sustain the changes, and manage
the journey over the long-term, there are four systems that
should be in place:

Accountability system. Everybody needs to have a clear

understanding of whose responsibility it is to do what.
People need to know where the organization is headed and
what constitutes exceptional individual or group
performance. The primary reason that change does not
last in most organizations is that people don’t know what
is expected of them.

Information system. So often in organizations, only

financial data is gathered and is distributed only to top
management. Other key indicators that relate to
performance areas also need to be tracked. Information on
performance has to be made available to those people who
can best use it --- those doing the work.

Feedback system. The number one motivator of people

is feedback on results. It is difficult for people to correct
and improve their performance if they do not have
feedback about how they are doing. In the feedback
system, managers add value --- mainly through praise ---
to the objective information being tracked throughout the
organization.

Recognition system. For change to last, good and

superior performance has to be acknowledged. If current
performance is below expectations, you have to reprimand
or provide training as appropriate. To continue in the long
term, good performance has to be treated differently than
poor performance.

Cheers
The purpose of assembling a team is to accomplish bigger
goals than any that would be possible for the individual
working alone. The aim and purpose of a team is to
perform, get results and achieve victory in the workplace
and marketplace. The very best managers are those who
can gather together a group of individuals and mould
them into a team. Here are ten key differentials to help
you mould your people into a pro-active and productive
team.
 Understandings. In a group, members think they
are grouped together for administrative purposes
only. Individuals sometimes cross purpose with
others. In a team, members recognise their
independence and understand both personal and
team goals are best accomplished with mutual
support. Time is not wasted struggling over "Turf" or
attempting personal gain at the expense of others.
 Ownership. In a group, members tend to focus on
themselves because they are not sufficiently involved
in planning the unit's objectives. They approach
their job simply as a hired hand. "Castle Building" is
common. In a team, members feel a sense of
ownership for their jobs and unit, because they are
committed to values-based common goals that they
helped establish.
 Creativity and Contribution. In a group,
members are told what to do rather than being asked
what the best approach would be. Suggestions and
creativity are not encouraged. In a team, members
contribute to the organisation's success by applying
 their unique talents, knowledge and creativity to
team objectives.
 Trust. In a group, members distrust the motives of
colleagues because they do not understand the role
of other members. Expressions of opinion or
disagreement are considered divisive or non-
supportive. In a team, members work in a climate
of trust and are encouraged to openly express ideas,
opinions, disagreements and feelings. Questions are
welcomed.
 Common Understandings. In a group, members
are so cautious about what they say, that real
understanding is not possible. Game playing may
occur and communication traps be set to catch the
unwary. In a team, members practice open and
honest communication. They make an effort to
understand each other's point of view.
 Personal Development. In a group, members
receive good training but are limited in applying it to
the job by the manager or other group members. In a
team, members are encouraged to continually
develop skills and apply what they learn on the job.
They perceive they have the support of the team.
 Conflict Resolution. In a group, members find
themselves in conflict situations they do not know
how to resolve. Their supervisor/leader may put off
intervention until serious damage is done, i.e. a
crisis situation. In a team, members realise conflict
is a normal aspect of human interaction but they
view such situations as an opportunity for new ideas
 and creativity. They work to resolve conflictquickly
and constructively
 Participative Decision Making. In a group,
members may or may not participate in decisions
affecting the team. Conformity often appears more
important than positive results. Win/lose situations
are common. In a team, members participate in
decisions affecting the team but understand their
leader must make a final ruling whenever the team
cannot decide, or an emergency exists. Positive
win/win results are the goal at all times.
 Clear Leadership. In a group, members tend to
work in an unstructured environment with
undetermined standards of performance. Leaders do
not walk the talk and tend to lead from behind a
desk. In a team, members work in a structured
environment, they know what boundaries exist and
who has final authority. The leader sets agreed high
standards of performance and he/she is respected
via active, willing participation.
o Commitment. In a group, members are

uncommitted towards excellence and personal

pride. Performance levels tend to be mediocre.
Staff turnover is high because talented
individuals quickly recognise that
(a) personal expectations are not being
fulfilled
(b) they are not learning and growing from
others and
 (c) they are not working with the best
people.
In a team, only those committed to excellence
are hired. Prospective team members are
queuing at the door to be recruited on the basis
of their high levels of hard and soft skill sets.
Everyone works together in a harmonious
environment

21st October 2008 From India, Delhi

 APPRECIATE

ENNhance #4
+ @ ☰

Group is a collection of people,however a team is bound

by a common vision and goal.Interdependence is low in a
group,high level of interdependence in a team
2
Knowledge and information is alomost one and the same.

Information - is detail about a particular thing. When you

accumulate more such information is called knowledge.
For example, when we address a person "he is more
knowledgeable". This means, he knows more information
about something.

Someone asks you, "I am planning to purchase a car, can

you please tell me which brand I should go for?" You
reply, "Sorry, I have no knowledge on this".

You might have seen in the quiz program on the TV.

"Who won the man of the tournament in the match,
played in 1947?, "who was the first Prime Minister of
India?, "How much money was spent on the first five
year plan?, "name the satellite which was first sent to
Mars? When you answer such questions and more,
means you have collection of information, and therefore
knowledeable. We have also heard people addressing
others as "yeah, his General Knowledge is very good".

However, mere accumulation of information (i.e.

knowledge), will not help. You need to have wisdom or
skill (wisdom/ability talks more about how you apply the
knowledge).
To explain this,

There was a young man going to a village to meet

someone. When he got down in the village, he saw an old
man (probably in his 65-70) sitting under a tree. Our
young man told the old man that he arrived at this village
to meet Mr.so and so and asked him how long will it take
to reach his place from there? The old man did not reply.
The young man asked again. The old man did not reply
again. After 3-4 attempts he got vexed and scolded the
old man "I have heard, in villages people will be more
courteous, more helpful and respectful; but you seem to
be arrogant, disrespectful and have no helping
tendency?" Then the young man started walking towards
the village. After a few seconds, the old man called him.
The young man came to ask the old man what for. The
old man replied that it would take 15 minutes for him to
reach the place where he wanted to go.

Surprised by this, the young man asked, "I was asking

you many times and asked you again and again, you
never bothered to reply me or help me; and you never
answered me". Why do you behave like this?

The old man replied, "when you asked me the question, I

did not know how fast or how slow you will be walking, I
never had any information about your walking speed;
after watching you walking a while, I understood, with
this speed, you can reach that place in 15 minutes".

This is what wisdom or intelligence. To be intelligent, you

 need not be knowledgeable also. It is basic common
sense, right?

Balaji
28th April 2011 From India, Madras
 APPRECIATE

Nikhil2375 #9

1
+ @ ☰

Knowledge is a blend of information, expereince and

insights that provides a framework that can be
thoughtfully applied when assessing new information or
evaluating relevant situations while Information is a
body of facts that are in a format suitable for decision
making.

Source: Zikmund William G. (2003), Business Research

methods, South West Thomson, Edn. 7, p738

However, no better way to understand the difference as

what T.S. Eliot has said:

The endless cycle of ideas and action,

Endless invention, endless experiment,

Brings knowledge of motion, but not of stillness;

 Knowledge of speech, but not of silence;

Knowledge of word, and ignorance of the Word.

All our knowledge brings us nearer to our ignorance,

All our ignorance brings us nearer to death,

But nearness to death no nearer to GOD.

Where is the Life was have lost in living?

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

The cycles of Heaven in twenty centuries Brings us

farther from GOD and nearer to the Dust.

T.S. Eliot

28th April 2011 From India, Mumbai

 APPRECIATE

Nashbramhall #10

1548
 + @ ☰

I have not come across any generic tool for measuring

knowledge, as one has to ask "knowledge of what?".
However, attempts have been made to measure the
knowledge bank of companies and even countries. For
example, see http://worldbank.org <link updated to site
home> where a Knowledge Assessment Methodology and
Knowledge Economy Scorecard comparison betwen
India and China is given. Found at Google
Balaji has given an excellent example of the difference
between information and knowldege.
Have a nice day.
Simhan
28th April 2011 From United Kingdom
 APPRECIATE

Mauryakamlesh #11
+ @ ☰

HII
Knowledge is like river and information are two side of
River.
As information increases, knowlege spread and become
long and help any body to cover long distance of
sucessfull life.
So it is very important to keep information udated and
more so that knowledge get some distance.
28th April 2011 From India, Varanasi