How to Be Visionary

Thinking out of the box, having insights, courting innovation, tapping creativity and breaking out of the mold: these are the ideal business management skills attributed to  successful entrepreneurs.

Being a successful business leader does depend heavily on the quality of your thinking but not your skills with magic. What is important, when it comes to designing a motivating vision for your business, is for you to be aware of the unconscious thoughts and emotions that drive your vision and your decision making. The truth is, much of what we do – our behavior – is influenced by our unconscious minds.

 

We are not aware of it but our unconscious minds are full of ideas, expectations and taboos. We are governed by rules and values formed and hardened into unassailable truth, often very early in our life.

 

I grew up the middle child in an Irish Catholic family. As a child, my family included the families in our parish. My authority figures included the parish priests, who, I was taught, represented God himself.  My teachers were nuns. Every day I was taught catechism and God’s commandments.

 

In the 4^th grade I announced I would grow up to be a missionary nun in the Congo. I have always had a value of adventure and freedom.  As I grew I lost my calling to be a nun (perhaps it was the lack of freedom). However, I do indeed now live in Africa. (South Africa, not the Congo). I am no longer outwardly a practicing Catholic but I do not doubt the continuing influence of my upbringing.

 

Sister Mary Agnes and Father Power are with me still in my subconscious mind.

 

 

The Power of the Subconscious Mind

 

The metaphor most commonly used today to illustrate the power of our subconscious minds is that of a rider astride an elephant.  Our rational minds have very little control over the unconscious emotions that powerfully control us.

 

The truth is, our unconscious thoughts are leading our decision making.  It is a good thing. Without our deeply held values and opinions we would be annoyingly indecisive and certainly unable to step up to the role of business manager or leader.

 

For example, in the early 1980’s a neurologist named Antonio Damasio, studied patients who, because of a brain tumor, had lost the ability to experience their emotions. Without emotions these patients didn’t feel fear or pleasure.

 

You might think these people would be wise and rational. You might think these people would make valuable advisors. You might think you could turn to these people to help you with your difficult management decisions. Instead, if you did, what you would find is that emotionless people are pathologically indecisive.

 

Without unconscious thoughts and emotions to guide them, Damasio found they’d spend five hours choosing between a blue pen or a black pen or a red pen. Without emotion these people found that the everyday decisions we take for granted were nearly impossible to make. Without emotion, they were missing the subtle, visceral signals that were telling them to just choose the black pen or to order the chicken salad or whatever.

 

 

When we’re cut off from our deep emotional signals, the most basic decisions become all but impossible.

 

When you find yourself struggling to articulate your vision for your business, or you are challenged by a necessary business decision, you will benefit from becoming aware of your unconscious thoughts and the behaviors that result from those thought and feelings.

 

The challenge in understanding your own motivation is that the source of these powerful emotions is hidden from all of us.  The truth is we are all riding an elephant and, despite our most rational efforts, the elephant is choosing our direction.

 

To see the genius in the your business vision or to see the possibility in the management choices you make, you need to become aware of your own personal truth. This is tricky. You have to use tricks to discover your inner truth.

 

Self awareness is not a skill that can be adequately taught in a blog post but it is an invaluable business leadership skill: one well worth developing.

 

 

When we’re cut off from our deep emotional signals, the most basic decisions become all but impossible.

 

Self-Awareness – Just Get Started

 

As with all business skill development it is best to just start from where you are.  Do something.  Take some action. Evaluate the results. Adjust.

Here are three possible actions you can take to increase your self awareness and strengthen your business leadership skills.

 

Practice Mindfulness

 

Observe yourself, observe your thoughts and, as best you can, the emotions that created those thoughts. Observe without judgment.  Mindfulness is a powerful, centuries old practice.  Like so many powerful tools, it is simple but not easy.  To learn more about the practice of mindfulness and it’s benefits,  Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace) by Chade-Meng Tan.

 

Self Reflection

 

Working to explore what you want, why you truly want it and what stands in your way is a powerful way to uncover patterns and thoughts that never reach your conscious mind yet influence your decision making. This process is made easier when you work with a neutral facilitator like a coach. If you are curious about the benefits of working with a coach, contact me for a free session.

 

Ask Someone

 

It may feel risky to ask your customers or peers how they see your leadership and management style but it turns out that other people’s assessment of your personality predicts your behavior better than your own assessment. How you see yourself and how other people see you are only very modestly correlated.  For more about this topic try Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious by Psychologist Timothy Wilson.

 

Becoming aware of what motivates you and what holds you back is not magical thinking but the results can be magical. The results can open your thinking to innovation, creativity and insight. And these are the skills that create visionary business leaders.

 

Do you seek self awareness as one of your business management skills?  What insights have you had?  How have these insights affected your business leadership and management style?

 

Or perhaps you think this is all mumbo-jumbo.  Tell me what you think.