Blog Posts by Courtney McBath

In line with crafting the vision for new change(s), how we communicate change is essential. As leaders, we are tasked with being the spokesperson for the vision, so we must sharpen our skills. We have to prepare our team to fully embrace and understand the vision for the organization. As you work on creating the vision, document in detail the pathway for implementing the changes that new vision can stimulate. Your team and stakeholders need to be informed throughout the process, providing regular updates and addressing any concerns they may have.

However, no matter how strong your vision and change plan is, there will be those who resist change. Change is not always easy, so it's important to anticipate potential roadblocks and have a plan to address them in whatever form they might show up. Do your best to engage with stakeholders early and often throughout the process and listen to their feedback to address any concerns they may have. As much as possible, try to communicate...

Our leadership journey is often characterized by changes that we hope will help our organization grow and take us one step closer to our desired vision. However, change, even when desired, can be challenging. Our greatest successes will likely come through our ability to lead during seasons when changes are happening. Change brings out the best in leaders because change is required to grow and fulfill vision. This is why we are dedicating this month to discussing change management for leaders.

The first thing to do when you want to make a change is to develop an effective communication strategy to share your strategic plan. I would suggest you begin by:

1. Finding another term to use other than the word "change."
2. Determine the reasons for the change and how it will benefit your audience.
3. Develop a timeline for implementing the change
4. Determining how this will impact our overall vision?

Taking these actions will help you create a vision and plan that you can comfortably...

The work of strategy does not begin when we sit to map out our plans. It begins from the moment we craft our vision, the moment we take on the role of leadership. One of the larger burdens of leadership is reminding yourself and your organization that every task or plan has to align with the overarching goal of your organization. This is strategy. With every plan drawn up, and every move to be made, we have to think of how it aligns with the goals we set for the organization. 

As leaders, we do not have the luxury of only focusing on the current immediate reality, there is always a larger picture and we have the responsibility of seeing it. How do we keep seeing that picture?

1. Understand your purpose and goals: While it seems obvious, understanding the vision for your organization is essential especially if you are not the founder. This involves annually reviewing and clarifying your mission and vision, identifying your key stakeholders, and understanding your core...

Hope your year is progressing and you are feeling positive. I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to sing America’s national anthem, I was hoping to start a vision talk with you. Vision includes the ability of the leader to articulate the direction and persuade people to follow that direction. The other side of vision is found in my ability to see my own progress, success, failure, and struggles. The truth is that as the leader grows and develops, so does the organization. This week I started my degree at the University of Oxford and I spent very little time recognizing the faults of my team. I could not get passed the daily revelations of my own deficits. Whatever growth or change you want to see in others, begins with you.

As we navigate the often complicated path of emotional intelligence, I want you to begin developing a deeper self-awareness. One of the primary attributes of a leader with high emotional intelligence is self-awareness.

Regular...

In our last post, we spoke about letting go of the past as we transition from 2022 to 2023. We can not let the mistakes of the outgoing year hinder how we approach our vision for the coming year. A part of our responsibility as leaders is effectively communicating hope to our team members, especially when there is fear about going into the new year. Visions are founded on the belief that they can and will happen. So while we begin with hope, we must not end there. We have to restrategize the vision for the coming year:

1. Talk to your team: A good way to prepare and energize your team for the coming year is to ask for their input on the current year and their suggestions for the new year. This builds hope and excitement.
2. Outline how they align with your organization’s overall vision: Your organization has a vision, and every plan should point to that vision. Highlighting the ways the 2023 vision builds the organization’s goals is a certain way to clearly communicate the...

We are in the final month of the year, and it is a joy for me to share with you as we collectively reflect on the victories and losses of the year. While there is room to be solemn as we think about the outgoing year, we should also nurture our hearts toward thanksgiving. There is much to be thankful for as we prepare for the year 2023.

As leaders, the transition from one year to the other looks different for us. We are tasked with outlining our organization’s vision, and while it is easy to write certain goals down, there is always an element of walking into the unknown. What will the new year bring? Will we achieve half the things on my plan? What about the things we did not achieve this year?

These are all valid questions to ask yourself as you prepare for 2023, but the first step of drafting a new vision is to learn from the past but not dwell there. Yes, there were a lot of setbacks. Yes, there were big rocks that had to be carried over, but the new year is...

Leading successfully depends on our ability to cast, nurture and develop our organizational vision. When people know what they are working toward and speak the language of shared vision, progress happens, and our teams experience fulfillment. The team will experience the power of seeing tangible results when the vision is clear, and that vision informs their daily activities. One of my greatest joys as a leader is crafting a shared vision!

Crafting a vision begins with understanding what we want to accomplish and why! If it is a new organization or you’re in a new position, you have to take time to ask yourself these two pertinent questions. What you are building and why. Even if the organization has been around a while, it is a great time to reevaluate the vision….the what and the why. Here are some important questions that every leader must ask.

1. How well have I articulated the vision to my team?
2. Do the members of the team understand what our goals are?
...

As leaders, we cannot help but dream. We must lead our team toward the desired vision in this fast-paced world. It requires consistently mapping out dreams and desires that align with the desired future.

In crafting our dreams, we often lose sight of maintaining a balance between our wildest dreams and reality. Because we desire a far better future than our current situation, we forget that things might not always go as planned. Yet, keeping reality at the forefront as we plan is essential. So how do we structure our vision around reality and life’s uncertainties?

1. Be honest with yourself: Honesty is essential to balance vision and reality effectively. Take stock of where you are and where you want to be. How do you intend to achieve this vision? Put a plan in place. You don’t have to have the whole thing together, but you do have to start. A structure helps you understand what can be achievable and how.
   
   
2. Discuss with the right people: While your vision...

Knowing your mission, vision, and purpose is not enough.

Yes, going through your life without knowing these things is like shooting a gun before aiming. Everything we do before discovering them seems random and unrelated. We start in one direction and stay with it until something else seems better. Then, we jump over to the next thing, and the next, and the next. Knowing our purpose produces confidence that we know where we’re going.

However, we must understand that finding our purpose is one thing; working at it—challenges notwithstanding—is another. Our purpose becomes clearer as we experience successes and failures, try new skills, and find roles that make us feel alive. Hence, giving up is not an option.

As we walk the path of purpose to fulfillment, we will experience challenges, setbacks, and failures; however, the difference between experiencing the fullness of your purpose and living a life of regret comes with perseverance.

Merriam-Webster defines...

The mission is the map; the vision is the road to get to the destination. Your vision is made up of the nitty-gritty details that help you make real progress. Because your mission provides a framework for your life, you can lead with sharper vision when you know your mission.

Discovering and implementing your personal vision requires the process of self-discovery, establishing specific goals, and continually fine-tuning your direction. It’s a dynamic—and sometimes complex—process.

Your vision becomes increasingly refined as your purpose becomes clearer, and your purpose becomes clearer as you experience successes and failures, triumphs and defeats, joys and sorrows. A person’s vision is an organic, dynamic, growing thing.

Very few people have a clear vision from the outset of their lives and careers. Several of the great leaders we now recognize worldwide have stories that, when studied, reveal adequate response(s) to specific challenges they faced....