The Heart of Leadership: The Art of the Possible

An enterprise is formed and organized in order to carry out tasks. Every enterprise needs a leader. The leader, whose vision is simultaneously ambitious, feasible and compelling, sets the direction. The leader must be able to articulate the vision in ways that make people want to participate in making it a reality.

A leader must be able to create a shared sense of purpose that marshals resources in the direction of that vision and its goals. Your actions must inspire others to dream, learn, do, and become.

It all starts with the vision — the idea.

Developing and holding a vision takes courage and the ability to think big. Don’t hold back. A big, bold, audacious vision can be a competitive and strategic advantage.

If you are living your dream, you can help others live theirs.

Take time to dream and think, believe in yourself and your ideas, behave and act positively. Break down your vision into ambitious, but achievable, goals. Find and surround yourself with like-minded believers and treat them with respect.

These skills are innate in some. And some learn them. In the best cases leadership skills develop naturally from the compelling nature of the initial vision. In other words, even the leader is in thrall to the vision and feels compelled to make it happen. A truly great idea is always bigger than any individual while still needing him and her to manifest it.

Harvard Business School professor Howard Stevenson stated: “Entrepreneurship is the process by which individuals pursue opportunities without regard to the resources they currently control.”

Bismarck defined statesmanship as the art of the possible.

Both these ideas get at the heart of leadership. A leader must articulate a vision that is both desirable and feasible. Followers need to share the desire to achieve the goal and feel it is possible to attain.

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