A leader’s vision only works if people understand, believe in, and repeat it. To make your vision stick: be clear and committed, translate it into tangible and relatable terms, and repeat it until it becomes part of everyday conversation. When your team starts echoing your vision back — even playfully — you’ll know it has taken root.
“Don’t worry Rob, the new place has your loading dock!” a colleague joked. That’s when I knew I was getting somewhere.
That moment of lighthearted ribbing told me the vision was finally sticking. When people start to reference your vision back to you — even in jest — it’s a sign that they’ve internalized it.
Here are three tips to help you communicate your vision effectively:
Before sharing your vision, make sure it's clear in your own mind and that you are truly committed to the path before trying to communicate it. People can sense hesitation. You need to show passion and an unwavering confidence if you want people to jump on board, and you must stay consistent to ensure that everyone pulls in the same direction.
A compelling vision gives people something to rally behind — but only if they believe you’re fully invested in it yourself.
People will embrace your vision if they can visualize it, and see themselves as an important part of it. Make it tangible with examples, symbols, or stories that connect to daily work.
When I wanted to emphasize our objective to accelerate revenue growth I once used a shipping counter as a tangible symbol. Pointing, I said, “See that counter? In two years, we’ll need a loading dock!” I described this transition in a bunch of different ways depending on the audience, and even sent photos of that shipping counter piled high with packages. Suddenly, growth wasn’t just a number on a chart — it was something people could picture.
Sharing your vision once in a meeting or email isn’t enough. Become an evangelist. Communicate it in different ways, in different contexts, and in different environments. The more people hear it, the more they’ll connect with it.
In my case, it helped that the shipping counter was beside our coffee station, meaning I had frequent opportunities to point at the counter and talk about business growth. It became a touchstone for repeated conversations about what growth would mean for the company. Eventually, colleagues teased me about it — but that ribbing only proved the vision had taken root. It became part of our shared language about growth.
Keep the message simple, put in the work to translate and personalize it. Repeat it until people can’t help but reference it back to you. These are the keys to bringing your vision to life, aligning your team, and demonstrating your passion as a leader.
It takes effort, but once your vision starts resonating, amazing things can happen. And if you become the butt of a few good-natured jokes along the way? That’s just a sign you’ve succeeded.
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This article was published more than 1 year ago. Some information may no longer be current.