Vision as the First Act of Leadership
Vision is the starting point of leadership — imagining a future and inviting others to build it. How creativity, communication, and critical thinking turn vision into reality.
Editor’s note: This essay sits within the Cultivated library on leadership, creativity, and the journey from idea to value. Related pieces explore clarity, alignment, and the conditions that enable meaningful work.
Vision as the First Act of Leadership
One of the core roles of a leader is to give people something to move towards.
By definition, leaders have followers. And followers move in the direction of a vision.
The word vision comes from Anglo-French, meaning something seen in the imagination.
At its simplest, vision is the act of seeing a future that does not yet exist — and inviting others to help bring it into being.
Almost every product, service, or organisation began this way. Someone imagined a different future, then created the conditions for others to build it.
Why Vision Matters
Vision is not physical. It exists first in the mind.
But imagining a future changes what we choose to do in the present.
Without vision, we drift.
We inherit the visions of others — markets, managers, institutions — and react rather than create.
Every book, video, or team I’ve built began with a picture of what could be. We rarely achieve that picture perfectly. But without it, there is no solid direction of travel.
Vision Needs Three Capabilities
Vision on its own is not enough. To make it real, leaders need three capabilities:
Creativity — the ability to create what does not yet exist.
Products, services, systems, and strategies all begin as acts of imagination.
Communication — the ability to articulate the vision so others care.
Leadership is not issuing orders. It is attracting the right people and inviting action.
Critical thinking — the ability to test the vision.
Not every imagined future is viable, ethical, or worth pursuing. Vision without judgment wastes time, energy, and capital.
Effective leaders balance all three: dreaming, creating, and discerning.
Testing and Aligning the Vision
Vision is not a static declaration. It is a living hypothesis.
Leaders continually ask:
- Does our work align with the vision?
- Is this future meaningful and achievable?
- Are we using people and resources wisely?
- When should we adjust or abandon this direction?
Good questions keep organisations alive. Unquestioned visions become dogma.
The Takeaway
Vision is the starting point of meaningful work.
It is the act of seeing a future and choosing to move toward it.
Creativity turns that future into something tangible.
Communication gathers people around it.
Critical thinking keeps it grounded in reality.
If you can see a future clearly enough, you can begin to build the path toward it. Focus, attention, and deliberate action are the bridge between imagination and value.
This piece forms part of Cultivated’s wider body of work on how ideas become valuable, and how better work is built.
To explore further:
→ Library — a curated collection of long-form essays
→ Ideas — developing thoughts and shorter writing
→ Learn — practical guides and tools from across the work
→ Work with us — thoughtful partnership for teams and organisations
