Page 52 - Free Yourself From

Taking Action for Knowing and Being Yourself 35

high-profile foray into policymaking—her plan for national health
care—was disastrous and showed her naïveté about how things are
done in Washington, as well as America’s appetite for that kind of
massive change. But she never lost her vision of becoming an effec-
tive leader, and now she is one of the most powerful women in the
country—a successful senator who is incredibly savvy about how to
frame passable legislation that accomplishes her goals.
Like her, others I know had a level of confidence within themselves
and a vision of who they wanted to be that they were able to hold onto
and use as a rudder to keep them on course through the turbulence.

A Vision Is a Magnet

When I left the corporate world and started my own organization, I
defined and worked on articulating my vision for both my organization
and myself. I found that the clearer those visions became, the more
I was drawn to the people I needed to make them pan out, and those
same people were drawn to me.
I have people still working with me after more than 16 years,
supporting our shared mission of developing great leaders. I found
this so interesting that I decided to ask these people why they came
to my organization and stayed. They shared with me that it was the
clarity of my vision, my passion about and belief in the work we did,
and the confidence that I exuded around that vision.
Seeing, believing, being, and articulating your vision with confi-
dence is an effective tool for influencing others and for gathering the
right people around your vision. As hyperbolic as it seems, I really do
feel that my vision acts as a magnet, attracting intelligent, magnifi-
cent, and endearing people who are able to bring our shared vision
for my business to life.
The bottom line: A vision serves as a beacon, providing a direc-
tion and purpose to help you navigate through your work. It helps you