Imagination Is The Key To Bending Reality!

Leaders see the big picture. They then need the help of others to make the mental picture a reality.  This requires the sharing of the vision, which is sometimes challenging, and requires trust and healthy communication from both the leaders and the team members. 

Visionary leaders will consistently be pushing the envelope with ideas, projects and plans that seem a bit too “out there.” Those unable to see the vision can get caught up in the challenges, or hiccups.  Strong leaders expect hiccups as part of getting to the goal and support the momentum when challenges are faced among the team. 

I have been leading a teen engagement program in my community for eight years now.  Each year we accept applications and I interview students between the ages of 13 and 18 to serve our organization as a member of our Teen Advisory Council. Over a six month period, they serve a number of the tasks needed to implement our educational and recreational programs for teens.   

During this span I have noticed a trend of decreasing ability for students to clearly imagine positive outcomes and the paths to get there.  We work on this as part of an exercise in our leadership training.  I like to see where each student and the group goes by habit in terms of imagining future scenarios.  WORST CASE vs BEST CASE from either decision made at a particular choice point in a scenario.  Wow! Their imagination is strong with many options and detailed descriptions when asked what could go wrong from a decision.  When asked to describe the BEST CASE scenario, some students really struggle while others offer a pretty consistent answer not really expanding their BEST CASE beyond what they feel would be reasonable by society’s standards. We work with shifting perception and expanding thinking to see how it might change the internal dialogue.   

I am curious to try this exercise in the corporate setting.  Having worked many decades with businesses operating with very structured frameworks, I expect similar responses.  This concerns me. Where does innovation fit in? Can we make room for innovation in all aspects of business? While there are definitely industries in which standardized processes are critical, I see many large institutions beginning to buckle under their antiquated structures. Rigid protocol and processes that squash innovation, but are deemed necessary to control a large organization.  

So, what is the answer to innovate beyond the boundaries of what is already known?  

Incorporating and integrating Imagination is the key!  

Try engaging your team members to envision the “best case scenario” in situations large and small. Perhaps it is having everyone share their “best case scenario” for a company flex time plan. Or each persons “best case scenario” on how we achieve our new client connections goal this year.  Get everyone thinking outside the box! For these discussions it’s best to move away from numerical goals and metrics.  Speak as though they are going to be met.  Another effective practice is to encourage team members to describe how it feels in the “best case scenario” and what ripple effect they see it having on them personally and the team or organization.   

Discussing “best case scenarios” often has a way of making them a reality. Try this at your next meeting.  It is time to unlock our imagination, and skyrocket to success.