I wrote Management Mess for leaders who feel underprepared—those grappling with a 'mess' from being an outsider, lacking experience, training, or all of the above. Some might think I'm the last person qualified to author it. So, let me be candid:
I have an intense personality that cranks up to 11. I've been mean, selfish, and self-centered, bringing good people to tears and prompting talented associates to leave. I've used my position and temper to belittle and stifle others. Yet, I'm also the leader whose division accelerates careers and sharpens skills. I'm a loyal friend—the one you call 24/7 for bail, restraining orders, or emergencies. I keep chilled champagne for surprise guests. As an honorable husband, foster father, champion, supporter, and mentor, I've guided countless professionals to extraordinary success. With God-given talents I strive to amplify (humility isn't my forte), I'm human: flawed yet capable, with failures and triumphs.
If you're navigating leadership's path, this book is for you. It draws from my real-world crucible—successes and setbacks—refined by colleagues, friends, and mentors' expertise. Climbing (and sometimes tumbling) the ranks, I absorbed principles from top leaders. These proven strategies propelled an imperfect leader to the C-suite.
The challenges here will sharpen your skills. Let's dive into Book Challenge 22: Creating a Vision.
Related: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Great Leader
In modern history, Walt Disney exemplified visionary leadership. Celebration, developed by Disney Development Company, brought his EPCOT dream to life at Walt Disney World in Orlando. As a founding team member from 1992 to 1996, I witnessed Disney transform 10 square miles of cow pasture into an innovative city: a pioneering public/private school, retail, homes, apartments, a cutting-edge hospital, and architect-designed offices. It blended The Jetsons tech with Mayberry charm. Imperfect? Yes. But driven by one man's vision—Walt's—communicated with passion, clarity, and consistency, even posthumously.
My Disney tenure showed that bold visions unsettle yet inspire. I excel at crafting them—one of my strongest leadership assets. But it's not just having a vision; leaders create and share it so teams own it. They articulate it crisply, aligning with organizational mission and goals, in 30 seconds or less.
Learning theory labels us visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. I contend everyone (absent visual impairment) learns visually. No construction loan funds without blueprints—so leaders visualize via PowerPoint, images, storyboards. Test comprehension: Ask teams to articulate it back. Their insights enrich it; vision-building is collaborative.
As Chief Marketing Officer, I envisioned events like Facilitator Enhancement Day (FED) for 5,000+ annual certified facilitators. We themed campaigns with websites, emails, and invites—distributed nearly a year early, pre-final agenda. Skeptics asked, 'How do you sell before creating?' Simple: A vivid vision boosts realization odds, like movie trailers amid production.
But vision alone fails without execution. Recall the Fyre Festival fiasco: Influencers hyped luxury on a Caribbean isle—yachts, gourmet fare. Attendees found disaster relief tents and cheese sandwiches. Chaos ensued. Vision must ground in reality.
Effective leaders define where and how. Vague aspirations fizzle from confusion or apathy. Master these learnable skills:
Adapt to culture: Use shared language; make it relatable.
Make it tangible and achievable: Stretch teams realistically.
Repeat relentlessly: Until you're weary—they're halfway. Clarity in your mind isn't theirs.
Build ambassadors: Rally colleagues to echo, question, refine it. Record video/audio; write it out.
This isn't pedantic—over-communication prevents failure. Leaders falter assuming 'enough' or losing steam.
From Mess to Success: Creating a Vision
Build yours:
What unique contributions can our team make to the organization's mission?
If we delivered one extraordinary impact in 1-5 years, what would it be?
Recall a vision that inspired you. What made it stick?
Articulate yours: Not just why/what, but how—the success key.
