The book's key premise is that visioning can be learned: any leader can grow his or her visionary capacity And since vision is not a nice-to-have, but a must-have in the leadership game, the art of looking ahead should be learned by anyone in leadership positions, or with a desire to become a leader.
But typically, with that observation, literature stops -- and this book continues. Answering the very difficult, but practical questions of: how do you go about growing your visionary capacity? What does an inspiring vision consist of? How do you safe guard against tunnel vision? How do you ignite your imagination to fuel your vision with intriguing ideas? How do you communicate your story in the most compelling way? How do you ensure it comes across as authentic and that it stirs people's emotions? And more.
All pivotal questions if you want to become a better leader and make the vision thing work for you.
The work laid out in this book is based on grounded research and solid academic theory, but largely told through stories, anecdotes, and yes... some references to research and academic concepts. But very practical, digestible and without the buzzword-laden prose characteristic for management books.
Here are couple of excerpts for you to familiarize yourself with the story-telling style:
"We are short of leaders to attack today and tomorrow's challenges and to create a better world for all. Anticipate hopefully unlocks the full potential for the many who aspire to be true leaders, but don't quite know how to get there. I certainly found it useful in my journey.”
– Paul Polman, CEO Unilever
