Mike Bell's Leadership Wisdom

Lack of vision in failing £6.2bn IT scheme

A lack of vision and poor understanding of the sheer size of the task means that a £6.2bn IT scheme for the National Health Service in the UK "isn't working and isn't going to work" according to Andrew Rollerson, an executive with Fujitisu, on of the systems providers, Computer Weekly reported 13/02/07.

When I first read this I thought what a wonderful quantification of a lack of vision. I’m sure the leaders and managers involved in this project will find any other reason but lack of vision to excuse the failure.

Innovation Means Relying on Everyone's Creativity

"Innovation has always been a primary challenge of leadership. Today we live in an era of such rapid change and evolution that leaders must work constantly to develop the capacity for continuous change and frequent adaptation, while ensuring that identity and values remain constant. They must recognize people's innate capacity to adapt and create -- to innovate."

Read the full article by Margaret Wheatley Innovation Means Relying on Everyone's Creativity

The Missing Vision

More than half of managers in a recent public sector survey wanted clarity of vision from their leaders and less than a third felt they got it.

Why is creating and speaking a vision so difficult for our organisational leaders?

Well firstly they have some tough acts to follow:

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "I have a dream," and what followed was a vision that changed a nation. That famous speech is a dramatic example of the power that can be generated by a person who communicates a compelling vision of the future.