The Vision Driven Leader – Michael Hyatt

The Vision Driven Leader, a book by Michael Hyatt, is a great read for leaders and everyone. A company to sustain, grow and keep growing needs to have a vision. You could also call it Purpose. What is the reason for the existence of a company is what Vision and Purpose is all about. Another book in the same category is Deep Purpose by Ranjan Gulati. In both the books, you will find similar examples quoted; Lego CEO Jorgen Vig Knudstorp and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who lead the turnaround of their respective companies, are discussed by the authors. 

Recommended Reading: Deep Purpose – Ranjay Gulati

Resistance: 

Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis: Michael Hyatt quotes the example of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, childbed fevers caused half a million deaths in England and Wales. Semmelweis discovered that not washing hands is the cause of the problem. All the fellow doctors disagreed, and because of his discovery, he had to take asylum and was also beaten to death. Today he is hailed as a genius and the Father of Infection control. However, his Vision was rejected when he was alive. There will be a lot of resistance when it comes to the execution of a vision. It will not be easy. 

It is never too late:

No matter how young or old, a company can always execute a vision. The Vision also keeps changing over a period of time. It is never too late to create and execute a vision. A company can be turned around with a great vision. The author calls it ZAG. (Start-up, Rising, Transitioning, Mature, Legacy, Zombie, and Dead). 

Buy-In from the Team: Getting the buy-in from the team is key to the execution of a vision.

Vision is all about what the future looks like. How do you plan on getting there? The author also quotes Abraham Lincoln – “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Thinking about it, all this makes a lot of sense. Who would have thought of a phone without a keyboard (Apple)? Who would have thought of a taxi company without owning any fleet of cars (Uber)? These are examples provided by Michael Hyatt. The author also talks about the destination (achieving the Vision) is more important than how we get there. There could be multiple paths to get to a vision. Michael also offers tips on writing a good vision script. Without a Vision, the company is bound to fail at some point. The Vision does not happen automatically. One needs to set time aside and think about it. It is always a work in progress. 

Reading this book, one could also relate to Mukesh Ambani’s JIO in India. It is a great example of a Vision driven leader and vision-driven company. 

Thanks Michael. Your book is a great read.