The leader lives the vision him/herself on a minute-by-minute basis

     Leaders MUST create consistency within the organization, this makes a corporation greater than the sum of its parts.  “The vision represents a shared expression of the future desired by the members of the organization.  It is an essential step toward the creation of unity of purpose in all their endeavors” (Cowley & Domb, 1997, p.67).  By achieving consistency, every individual and each part of the organization will be better able to drive with determination toward a common goal that is clear, communicated, and understood by everyone.  To energize the members towards strategic objectives, visions must be more than a sign on the wall, they must become a daily operational lifestyle.  Lareau (2000) writes about the importance of change leadership articulating vision as “…it is critical that the leader lives the vision him/herself on a minute-by-minute basis” (p. 175).  Leadership should live it, be seen living it, and constantly communicate it to the team members. 

     If the leadership is asking everyone to engage in change that creates stress, the establishment of a clear and consistent vision of what the future will be aid greatly in employee’s ability to understand why and how through the transformation.  For a vision to have any impact on the employees of an organization it must be conveyed in a dramatic and enduring way.  The most effective visions are those that inspire, usually asking employees for the best, the most or the greatest.  The vision should drive the organization to stretch in objectives and goals while keeping linkages between the events of today and the vision.  Sullivan and Harper (1996) state: To be an effective beacon, a vision must describe the future in terms that people can easily grasp and understand. It must incorporate some concept of success that is simple enough for people to understand in operational terms, that is, they must be able to apply it to their role in the organization, to their job. (p. 79).