The Vision Code

THE VISION CODE, How To Create and Execute A Compelling Vision for Your Business, by Oleg Konovalov, Wiley 2021

"If you have no vision, why are you here?  If all you are doing is eating, breathing and going about daily tasks then what kind of value do you bring to this world?

We are living in a time of leadership blindness.  Less than 0.1% of leaders have a vision... We think about the past a lot, we think a bit about the present, and we think very little about the future."

Where there is no vision, no amount of effort or money can help."  Dr. Oleg Konovalov

There are leaders, and then there are visionary leaders - the kinds of business minds who somehow share or exemplify their view to the future.  Jack Welch, Franklin Roosevelt, George Patton, JFK, Martin Luther King, Jr., Steve Jobs, Gordon Lankton of Nypro, even perhaps Elon Musk - all of these hard workers somehow stay in our minds and our literature not for what they said, although they each were inimitably quotable, but for what they launched and eventually produced.  And somehow, despite rampant public critiques, each of these leaders continued on the path to certain specific goals.  Konovalov would say they were gifted with long vision, in addition to certain specific management goals.

Dr. Konovalov argues however, that this vision-thing is not all mystery, unreachable by ordinary managers.  He breaks it down, in fact, into a simple code and shows how professionals can develop and perfect strong strategic vision with application of a specific tool that he calls CAVIAR:

Clarity - Define the goal and translate it into the vision

Ability - Make that vision real with proven and practiced capabilities to go forward

Viability - Here the leader is continually challenged to check the "health" of his vision against six critical criteria of stimulus, scale, scanning, spotlight, simplicity and excitement.  Going forward this amounts to carefully monitored milestones and feedback

Influence - the bigger the vision, the more we will need influence and power

Acting - Here the author reinforces a need for action, visible movement and solid results - clear and memorable.  Unfortunately, bad results may also require recognition and truth as bad missteps can indicate good change.

Revitalizing - Roosevelt knew that he and his advisors could not end the Depression or win WWII with a few one-shot wins.  In fact the President's leadership approach was to seek out many options from his resident experts.  He wanted choices and repeated successes. 

Dr. Konovalov uses interviews with global visionaries to present a variety of methods and environments.  The leaders themselves speak to why they need a vision, how they communicate and begin the implementation, and more important, how to build it with integrity.  "I'm blessed to be in one room with the global visionaries and thought leaders in a search for the answers." he said.  "I had incredible discussions with nineteen exceptional visionaries from across the globe, top global thinkers and CEOs from the USA, UK, Canada, Russia, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, and India," including:

Marshall Goldsmith Garry Ridge, Chairman and CEO of WD-40 Co

David Katz, founder and CEO of Plastic Bank

Feyzi Fatehim  CEO of Corent Tech

Olga Uskova, President and Founder of Cognitive Technologies Group

Alex Goryachev, Managing Director of Cisco Innovation Centers

The Vision Code also offers lookback summaries and end of chapter aids to build understanding and develop practice routines.

"Vision creates the fertile ground on which we build the future.  How we create a productive and prosperous space - for all stakeholders, employees, customers, partners and future users of this ecosystem - depends on visionary leaders."

Patricia E. Moody

FORTUNE magazine  "Pioneering Woman in Mfg" 

IndustryWeek IdeaXchange Xpert

A Mill Girl at Blue Heron Journal, on-line resource for business thought-leaders and decision-makers,  patriciaemoody@gmail.com