DescriptionVisionary stories tell about a desirable future that inspires and motivates people to work towards that future.They are usually couched in very positive terms and may well be told from the viewpoint of the future, where the desirable state has been reached.ExampleSteve Jobs is often referred to as one of the most visionary leaders of our time. He is credited with:
Igniting the personal computer revolution. ...
Introducing the mouse and graphical user interface. ...
Bringing portable music players to the masses. ...
Revolutionizing the sale of music. ...
Shepherding the age of computer animation. ...
Opening Apple stores. ...
Making personal computers stylish. ...
Launching the smartphone revolution.
But vision seldom makes sense in the beginning. Pay attention to how it feels to hear something new. An example of vision might look something like this: Imagine it is five years from now. Imagine dry toilets being sold worldwide. Imagine them in every home from New York to New Delhi. In the midst of a worldwide water crisis, this is not fanciful. The greatest research and the greatest product exist for this to occur. It's now up to a visionary leader to make this a reality regionally, then nationally, to make those products known and desired around the world.DiscussionStories about the future motivate by giving hope and meaning, setting clear goals and giving people reason to work together.Visionary stories also say much about the person who is telling the tale, showing them to be imaginative and positive.Visionary stories are a common tool of leaders (and indeed the term 'visionary leader' is quite common) who use them to motivate people to work together towards a common goal that extends beyond the everyday 'doing the business'.