Transformational leaders use the practice of mental management to create change. It is something that is done every day and creates a guide to new possibilities. It is surprising to see how many people will talk about vision as a desired state but seem quite content to allow it to remain a desire and to continue to live with their current state. Our transformational leaders apply elements of vision to the here and now and will choose how to behave in such a way as to create the vision in the moment.
One key area of personal management is with regard to internal states. Usually, a fully represented vision will include how it feels to be in the vision. In my experience, I have universally seen people define that desired state in terms of very positive emotions. I have yet to see a vision statement that reads “We will all feel dreadful” or “I will be incredibly unhappy” or “My stress level will be through the roof.” My experience is that humans, when in their creativity of imagination, move easily and quickly toward happiness, order, and stability.
A very simple way of using vision every day is to choose to feel as you have stated your vision at every point possible. This is a practice of ordering your internal state to align with your vision. At the same time, you can order your external environment to align. Quite literally, if you have seen your future as containing light and airy workspaces, take action to create that to the extent possible. This can be as simple as changing light bulbs or putting windows into windowless walls. Taking large and subtle steps can make huge inroads to accomplishing your vision.
Lastly, transformational leaders act “as if” they have already accomplished their vision. This is the act of creatively stepping into their desired state. They act as if the change has already occurred, and they are just waiting on some slower elements to catch up. It is vastly different to hold a change as “there and then,” as opposed to “here and now.”
