Creating a Vision for Success

Vision statements, ambitious goals, and million-dollar ideas are important when starting your business. But if you aren’t careful, it can derail everything before you even get started. When we started Financial Cents, we had a big dream to transform how accounting firms manage everything in their firm: workflow, clients, billing, and more. But if we had tried to build all of that from the start, we wouldn’t be here today. In the early days, you don’t have a lot of resources, and because of that, your most important asset is laser focus. To remind us of that, we lived by one principle that still defines how we operate today: Think Big. Start Small. Scale Fast. Let me break it down: 1️⃣ Think Big We never lost sight of our end goal: to build an all-in-one solution for accounting firms. But that was the destination, not the starting point. 2️⃣ Start Small We focused on one problem: workflow management. No shiny features, no distractions. Just a solution that we knew could make a real difference. This wasn’t just about being lean. It was about being focused. Starting small forced us to become experts at solving one specific pain point. 3️⃣ Scale Fast: Once we knew we nailed the workflow solution, we didn’t sit back. We listened to our customers, figured out what they needed next, and built on top of that. That’s how we grew into a platform with a CRM, client portal, team collaboration, billing, and more without overcomplicating things or losing sight of what made us valuable in the first place. It is important to set a grand vision, but don’t try to do it all at once. Instead, break it down into practical, achievable steps to ensure success.

Companies don’t die when they run out of money. They die when their leaders run out of vision. Here’s how to communicate yours clearly: The most successful leaders don’t just see the future. They help others see it too. In the 1970s, Steve Jobs envisioned “the computer for the rest of us” before personal computers even existed. Even though it was uncharted waters, his vivid depictions of how these devices would change the world inspired his team to bring the Macintosh to life. When it comes to turning ideas into reality, having an ambitious vision isn’t enough. As a leader, your team has to buy in. They have to be on the same page as you. There are three steps to pulling this off: 1. Picture Close your eyes and envision your company 5-10 years from now. What new products and services are you offering? What impact are they having on society? Can you describe all of it in detail? 2. Convey Next, articulate your company's purpose. Answer why it exists beyond profit. You also need to define 3 measurable long-term goals that are aligned with your vision. Outline key cultural behaviors that embody company values. Lastly, establish clear annual metrics to track. What gets measured gets managed. 3. Reiterate Finally, express your vision repeatedly in meetings, memos, hallway conversations, etc. Whatever chance you get to blurt it out, seize it. If it seems silly, remember both Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy sparked massive change in society just by talking about their visions constantly. Repeating your vision not only hammers it into your team members—it alters your company culture at all levels. Join the 12,000+ leaders who get our weekly email newsletter. https://lnkd.in/en9vxeNk

Building a business without a Vision, Is like driving a car without a destination. Sure you're moving, you're burning fuel. But you're not really getting anywhere. Too often, owners are just trying to survive and get through the day. And building a clear, compelling Vision doesn't happen. But without a Vision to guide you, There are going to be real problems: Problems making decisions that align with your goals. Problems finding and keeping the right people. Problems staying motivated and keeping the business growing. You'll waste time and resources chasing things that don't matter. And you'll watch as others pass you by. You'll be frustrated, and not even be able to articulate why, You just know things aren't working the way you want. And all of it comes back to the lack of a clear, compelling Vision that you can share. When my clients build a Vision doc, there are a few key elements: ▪️Pick a specific date, 4 years from now ▪️Use specific numbers for Revenue, Profit, customers, employee head count ▪️Describe how the business runs ▪️Describe your role in the business ▪️Edit until you feel comfortable sharing it with your team - then share it! A strong Vision document helps massively: Keeps you focused when you struggle. Keeps the team aligned on big goals. Helps develop Annual Plans. Drives big projects forward. Keeps you sane. Don't spend all your time driving in circles. Build a Vision for your business. (and yourself) Set the destination, and get to work!

Imagine this: You, the visionary founder, see the big picture— Because it comes from you. It probably originated from a deep personal conviction. To you, it’s clear as day. But there’s just one problem: This vision, as vibrant as it is in your mind, isn’t understood by everyone in your organization. Not yet, anyway— It feels like you’re pointing at a giant cloud saying, “Do you see it? It’s there.” And your people don’t. Why? Because the vision can’t only live in you. Your challenge and opportunity is to embed the vision into the very fabric of the company. From the C-suite to the front lines. And that’s way harder than it sounds. I call it “vision adoption.” It's a big part of what we do for organizations. We lead the inception of your vision to its fullest understanding, acceptance, and integration into your operations, culture, and brand. It’s necessary for turning aspirations into reality. So what do you do? 1️⃣ Consistently Vision-Cast Clear, consistent messaging from you ensures that the vision is not only understood at all levels, but embraced too. Articulate the vision's relevance to each department and role. Make it part of your daily conversations. 2️⃣ Cultural Integration Work your vision into company culture through intention — it has to echo daily through your core values, behaviors, and rituals. The vision must be more than a dream. Employees have to experience it through your SOPs, decisions, and strategies down to the tiniest detail. It guides everything you do. 3️⃣ Leadership Engagement The only acceptable leadership style for a visionary company is leading by example — nothing else will ensure buy-in from your workforce. Every vision decision a CEO or executive team makes that isn't aligned with the vision will reflect 10x more intensely in the diminishing commitment of the regular employee. 4️⃣ Empowerment and Ownership Every team member — regardless of title — must see themselves as indispensable to the success of the vision. This is empowerment. That empowerment leads to innovation. And that innovation translates to proactive, self-initiated problem-solving aligned with the vision. And that’s pure vision adoption in action. It’s the difference between a vision only you can see... …and a vision that your whole company actively participates in realizing. Motto® 🏴

How Can You Create a Clear Vision for Leadership Development? Crafting a leadership development vision can feel like trying to piece together a puzzle while the image keeps shifting. But here’s the truth: A clear vision doesn’t just inspire—it sets a powerful foundation for growth. I’ve helped organizations define their leadership development strategies, and here’s what actually works: 1. Understand the Current Context ↳ Start with a leadership audit. ↳ Assess strengths, weaknesses, and skill gaps in your current team. ↳ Consider how business needs are evolving. 2. Define Core Leadership Values ↳ Anchor your vision in principles like integrity, innovation, and accountability. ↳ These values will guide decisions at every level. 3. Envision the Future Leader Profile ↳ What does your ideal leader look like? ↳ Outline key traits such as strategic thinking, decision-making, and team building. 4. Align with Organizational Goals ↳ Leadership development shouldn’t exist in isolation. ↳ Ensure it supports your company’s mission and long-term objectives. 5. Articulate a Compelling Vision Statement ↳ Create a simple, inspiring statement that captures your aspirations. ↳ Example: "Empowering innovative leaders to drive transformational change.” 6. Identify Development Pathways ↳ Offer tailored tracks for different career levels and aspirations. ↳ Include mentorship, training, and experiential learning opportunities. 7. Develop Measurable Metrics ↳ Define clear indicators like engagement scores, leadership assessments, and promotion rates. ↳ Track progress and celebrate milestones. 8. Communicate Effectively ↳ Share your vision broadly and often. ↳ Encourage feedback to build buy-in at all levels. What’s the impact in the big picture: A strong leadership development vision: • Drives impact by preparing leaders who can create lasting value. • Promotes diversity and inclusivity, valuing different perspectives. • Encourages continuous learning to stay ahead of challenges. • Inspires ownership, empowering leaders to take charge of their growth. Which part of this resonates most with your approach to leadership? Share your perspective in the comments—I’d love to hear your story. 👇 ♻️ Repost this to inspire your network. Follow Anand Bhaskar for more insights. —- 📌 Want to become the best LEADERSHIP version of yourself in the next 30 days? 🧑💻Book 1:1 Growth Strategy call with me: https://lnkd.in/gVjPzbcU #Leadership #Growth #Vision #Leader #Success

𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 Success means different things to everyone. It might mean solving problems, improving communities, building lasting businesses, creating wealth, or any combination of these achievements. As you sort out how various pieces in life come together for your vision to be successful, you realize that your puzzle is unique.   Founders can chart their path by embracing both strengths and weaknesses throughout their journey. Define and stand by your own version of success. I aim to develop startups that positively impact the world, guided by my core values of collaboration, curiosity, growth, and optimism. This framework helps me make clear decisions about future opportunities. On your journey, use insights about your aspirations, motivations, and personality to shape your definition of success. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟱-𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 The effort you put forth today should be based on your vision. Start by developing a clear vision of your goal. Though the title above mentions "5 years," you can adjust this timeframe.   “𝑀𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑜 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑜 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠.”― 𝐵𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝐺𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 What matters is looking far enough ahead to rise above current challenges. Envision where you want to be in business 𝗮𝗻𝗱 personally. Here are some key categories to consider: 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀  · Sales  · Finance · Product · Marketing · Operations · Vendors (payroll, legal, etc.) 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 · Health and Fitness · Family and Friends · Travel and Adventure · Spirituality and Purpose · Savings and Investments You can add categories important to you. For each category, outline your ideal situation and apply specific, measurable, and time-bound goals. For instance, in finance, you can review metrics weekly, analyze reports monthly, and perform deep dives quarterly. Once your [X]-year plan is determined, you can work backward from your goals to the present. Start by outlining your one-year objectives for each category. Then, break these down into quarterly goals, monthly targets, and weekly actions. Schedule time each week to complete these tasks, review your progress, and adjust your plan as needed. While this process requires significant upfront and ongoing commitment, it helps align daily activities with near-term objectives and long-term goals. This alignment allows you to be more intentional with your time. These tools and techniques will bring your dreams to life. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: By next Friday, formalize and record your vision and values. Then, take the time to share them with three to five others and ask what one thing could be done to make them clearer and more powerful. #leaders #founder #adapt #startups

Having a vision for your business is just the first step – Getting your teams on board with it is a far more complex – but crucial – aspect of it. This is how you can ensure that your teams align with your vision: First, define the problem you are trying to solve, Then, break it down into tangible and meaningful challenges for them, Next, find ways for them to use their strengths to solve these problems, And finally, show them what’s in it for them - promotions, awards, or special perks. You can translate your business vision into individual challenges using this three-level approach: 🎯 Level 1: The practical issue Identify the surface-level problem you are trying to solve, and practical steps that can help you address it. For example, if you run a clothing business, you may pinpoint your problem as ‘people don’t have access to quality fabric and classic design at reasonable prices.’ 🎯 Level 2: The emotional impact Dig deeper into the emotional impact of this problem, Whether it's affecting the sense of belonging, inclusion, and opportunities. In our example above, this could be ‘not having nice clothes at fair prices makes people feel left out and affects their confidence and self-esteem.’ 🎯 Level 3: The philosophical dimension This is where you shift your focus from the immediate problem to the deeper values and principles it touches upon. We’d translate our clothing example into this level by saying ‘affordable access to good clothing builds a more equitable world where opportunities become open and accessible to everyone.’ This greater purpose drives your team towards achieving your and their goals. As you approach 2024 with bigger goals, use this three-level playbook in mind to motivate your teams and win big. Are you ready to implement this in 2024? #ExecutiveCoaching #Team #Business #Success

At the end of 2016, the 49ers were one of the worst teams in the NFL... This is the story of how a vision statement turned it all around... In 2017, the 49ers were coming off a losing season (2-14) and their new general manager John Lynch was only a few months into the job.  Knowing it was his job to turn the franchise around, he called in the team's coach Kyle Shanahan to help him build the plan.  Lynch and coach Shanahan both knew what a "winning culture" looked like in practice. They knew what they expected and wanted in the character of their players.  They knew the types of athletes that would work best in their "system" of football. The problem was... What a "winning culture" looked like, the character of players, the types of athletes...this was all in their heads!  It was not written down...how could they expect 49er coaches or scouts to know what they expected if it was not on paper. Enter Burke Robinson, a lecturer at nearby Stanford, who had taught a course called “The Art and Science of Decision Making” that Lynch attended in the spring of 2014. Lynch remembered the power of a vision statement and asked Robinson to help him and 49er leadership align on and document their "north star."  As a next step, Robinson interviewed several of the 49ers leaders and then set up a working session for the leadership team. The goal of the working session was to align on a first draft of the vision statement.  In creating this vision statement, they also gained clarity on what "49er Talent" and "49er Spirit" needed to look like as well.  The image on this post is the output of that first meeting and the first step the 49ers took to becoming a winning franchise again.  Here are my two big takeaways on how the 49ers created a winning culture: 1️⃣ Knowing what your vision for success looks like matters, but sharing your vision matters even more 2️⃣ Having great talent matters, but having great talent that fits your "system" matters even more. What are your takeaways from this story?  What examples have you seen where a clear vision for success has impacted the culture?  PS - Hat tip to Al Dea for bringing this article to my attention.  See the comments for the source article in The Athletic. PSS - Go 49ers! 🙏

Build less than you think you should. Hone in on who you exist to serve. In his famous return to Apple, Steve Jobs made a key decision to cut their product line down to only four lines. He drew an easy-to-understand, four-quadrant model that changed the course of history for the company. On one axis were 'Consumers' and 'Professionals', and the other had 'Desktops' and 'Portables'. He even created a simple naming convention with 'i' for consumer products and 'Power' for the professional line. He focused the entire firm by producing clarity around who their products would serve and how they would categorize the problems that they would solve. The change reduced Apple's product line from 350 products down to 10 that fit clearly into those quadrants. As organizations grow, there is a natural tendency to chase the low-hanging fruit of a new market or to solve new problems for your existing customers to chase economic value. This leads to a proliferation of solutions and a clear diffusion of your ability to produce and retain advocates in both your customer and your employee ecosystem. What Jobs did, was to focus the team so that the intellectual energy and talent at Apple could focus on building products that produced inspiring consumer experience and maximized the breadth and depth of advocacy in their consumer base. It was brilliant. A clear, motivating vision should serve as the compass that guides your organization, the north star for every decision and innovation. But crafting such a vision is never easy. 🎯 A robust vision requires two things: 1. A clear understanding of who the organization exists to serve. Organizations that have this clarity can prioritize efforts and resources effectively, connect with customers better, and see whose lives will improve as a result of their work. 2. A clear understanding of what problems you will solve for your customers. This clarity ensures that every team member understands their role in the grand strategy, helps them make decisions in the wild, and helps them understand how their unique skills can be applied to serve customers. When everyone understands the vision, they feel empowered to contribute meaningfully, fostering a culture of innovation and ownership. As a leader, your task is to steward the vision and breathe life into it. I had the great honor of sharing some knowledge this week with Vistage Worldwide, Inc. leaders in the City of Greeley, Colorado this week. Thank you Steve Sager for trusting me with such curious minds and thank you Steven Bohlender and Computer Information Concepts, Inc. for hosting. 💡 #Vision #Leadership #StrategicAlignment #OrganizationalSuccess #PowerOfVistage