Small red ball balanced on multiple sheets of blue paper in wave shape, blue background
Vision is an attribute that many in business think they have when, in reality, they do not. It is for this reason that Oleg Konovalov set out to write The Vision Code.
“Having a vision,” Konovalov told me in an email interview, “is like looking at the present from the future’s standpoint. Being a visionary is similar to putting one’s own signature on the future while being here and now.” As he says, “Life is not a place we live but a path we take. Vision defines a path into the future down which a true leader must lead others.”
Too often, we conflate purpose with vision. Not true. "Our vision should be reflective of our purpose. Our vision makes our purpose come to life." As Konovalov, a colleague of mine, explains, “What matters most is having a purpose. Are you making progress, are you achieving something, are you happy, do you have great relationships, and do you engage with what you are doing? Why are we here?”
CAVIAR
In the Vision Code: How to Create and Execute a Compelling Vision for Your Business, Konovalov, who holds a doctorate from Durham University, proposes the acronym CAVIAR, a nod to his Russian roots.
Clarity – knowing where you are going.
Ability – translating the vision into action
Viability – Checking the vision on a six-axis scale: stimulus, scale, scanning, spotlight, simplicity, and excitement
Influence—leveraging the vision to achieve far-reaching and robust influence
Acting Visionary—pushing to achieve intended results
Revitalizing—keeping the vision fresh, vibrant, and sustainable
Graceful vision
Konovalov likens vision to a sense of grace. "A beauty of vision lies in its structure. That may sound strange, but it must be clearly and effectively-structured whenever we want to create something strong and beautiful, whether it be an airplane, software, or vision. Thus, we talk about engineering vision to make it robust, reliable, flexible, simple, and beautifully proportional.”
He continues, "Professionals tend to present complex ideas in simple words. Pretenders tend to use technical language to justify themselves, not ideas. Vision is beautiful and appealing as long as it’s functional and executable. Otherwise, it just another idea.”
Vision is critical now as we navigate uncharted waters. "Having a vision and being able to make it a reality differentiates leaders from managers. When there is no vision, no amount of effort or money can help. With vision, we can achieve real change. The world is conquered by visionaries and surrenders its advantages and opportunities to them unconditionally."
“Vision creates the fertile ground on which we build the future. How we create a productive and prosperous space for all stakeholders, employees, customers, partners, and future users of this eco-system, depends on visionary leaders.”
Creating your vision
What can we do if our vision is unclear? Through thinking profoundly and focusing on what's important to us. “We can get a vision of something that we are most concerned about. How great is this problem that one is prepared to devote one’s own life to solve it for the benefit of many? This ‘why’ is the pain of others which will not let the visionary rest.”
Determining is a matter of "tuning your mind" toward a positive future. Grand visions challenge us to make a better world. As Konovalov told me, "To fulfill the macro level, we need to live for others as all great leaders do. Today, vision is even more important as we witness a time of redefinition of leadership and the role of leaders, from being superiors to leaders-servants.”
“Vision,” he says, “grows into its shape fed by imagination, nurtured by inspiration, and driven by a desire to solve a serious problem for the sake of others.” Bottom line, says Konovalov, “Vision is elegant thinking about complicated things. A great vision is genuinely easy to understand and never complicated.”
