Vision - the story of tomorrow
- hbsingh
- Jun 16
- 4 min read
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character."
Martin Luther King was not telling you what he wanted, he was describing a world so vivid and compelling that anyone listening to that would want to follow him there. That is a fantastic example of visionary leadership.
Today, we cover what I believe to be the most powerful form of story - the story of where we are going.
What is a vision?
A guiding vision is one of the rallying cries of a great leader. Vision is a particular kind of storytelling — one that paints tomorrow’s world. A vision is not simply a plan, or a target, or a slogan. It is a vivid picture of a future that doesn’t yet exist, but with our action will. When we are working towards a shared future we can more easily make decisions, rally people, and sharpen our focus. Without it, we drift into a patchwork of short-term fudges (sounds familiar?).
Leaders of our communities, countries and companies might better guide us with a vision. It can be an engine to ignite action and drive us towards an outcome so compelling we can almost feel it. Particularly at a country level, our leaders lack insight, imagination and ambition and this is most evident in their lack of a vision.
Visions cannot be delivered via PowerPoint. They are delivered through clear, consistent and compelling narrative. The best leaders are visionary storytellers. They create stories that people want to belong to. And when people believe the story, they act accordingly.
The 4 pillars of visionary storytelling
Any of us can build a vision - for our company, our career, our family, or our personal passions. Doing it well takes a few ingredients:
Imagination
You have to allow yourself to picture something better, different, or new. Imagination is the oxygen of vision. It requires asking ourselves different questions. These questions require thought, but we rarely give ourselves time to think about the medium or long term. Examples might be:
“What does an amazing next 5 years look like?”
"If I were to imagine a 7star budget, what would it look like?"
2. Vividness
A vague vision doesn’t motivate. A clear one does. Good visions paint scenes you can almost step into. They describe not just numbers but emotions, not just outcomes but experiences.
“We will be the market leader” is weak.
“By 2030, every hospital will use our platform to diagnose cancer earlier, saving thousands of lives each year” is stronger.
Emotional Resonance
A vision that speaks only to the head rarely moves people. You need to speak to the heart too. Why does this future matter? What is at stake? What will it feel like when we get there?
Weak example: “Our new education program will boost literacy rates by 15%.”
Strong example: “By 2030, every child in our schools will confidently read stories to their parents at bedtime — stories that once felt out of reach.”
Credibility
Although our Silicon Valley counterparts might talk in mooshots, I believe a vision might feel difficult but has to live in the space between impossible and inevitable. If it’s pure fantasy, people switch off. If it’s too cautious, people don’t care. The art is in describing something bold but believable.
Unbelievable example: “We will eradicate global poverty within five years.”
More real example: “Next decade, 10 million people will be lifted from extreme poverty through microfinance, local entrepreneurship, and health interventions.”
Visions spur us into action
Why are visions so powerful? Because they boost both our thinking and our emotional reactions.
Dopamine release: The brain rewards us for anticipating positive futures. Vision stimulates motivation circuits.
Mirror neurons: When we hear a well-told vision, we can almost live it ourselves.
Cognitive simplification: The brain likes coherence. A strong vision simplifies complexity and reduces cognitive load.
Put simply: our brains are primed to respond to stories of what could be.
Visions are risky
Of course, visions have risks for example:
Are vague or generic and exposes the lack of strategy
Are too technical and full of jargon showing disconnection
Fall flat, as the vision described is not compelling or vivid
Bad visions confuse, demotivate, or get ignored entirely. Worse, management persists with them despite lack of resonance.
Bottom line: we see, therefore we move
We are visual creatures. The ability to imagine the future — to see it, feel it, describe it — is one of the great human superpowers. Those who master it become the people others follow.
The future belongs to those who can see it first.
Next week I will explore "Storytelling for leaders". Until then, please sign up to receive the blog directly to your email at Home | Change your mind.
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