“Visionary” is one of those buzz words that have lost their true meaning because so many people have co-opted them to the point where people don’t even know what they mean anymore. But at its core, being a visionary simply means having the ability to see the future, especially when other people don’t see it yet. In business, it can also mean being someone who uses innovative ideas to provide solutions to existing problems.
It’s one thing to be a businessman, but another thing to be a visionary. More often than not, it takes vision to not just create a profit for oneself but to truly change the world for the better. Here are the essential qualities of a visionary and why it’s key to finding success as a business owner or entrepreneur:
Persistent
Because being a visionary entails breaking away from what is expected, entrepreneurs with a new vision often experience some form of resistance. Remember when Galileo experienced conflict with the Catholic Church because the latter could not grasp that the Earth orbits the sun? It’s perhaps one of the most famous examples of a trailblazer going through a conflict with traditionalists who would rather keep the status quo.
If you want to be a businessman or entrepreneur who wants to provide a product or service that has not been done before, you need to expect some resistance. As long as what you’re peddling is based on scientific evidence, facts, and medical science, there’s no reason why you can’t keep fighting for it to hit the mainstream and reach your target audience. If you believe in what you have to offer, be persistent and fight for it until people realize it’s truly something that will serve others and provide solutions to a problem.
Proactive
Another quality of visionaries that a lot of people overlook is their ability to be proactive. Being proactive simply means having the foresight to determine potential problems and prevent them from happening. You would be surprised by how much employees and team members need characteristic this from their leaders.
If your company already has its own workspace or office, make sure to be proactive in keeping everything organized and well-maintained. For example, you don’t have to wait until it’s summer to have your air conditioning cleaned or maintained. It’s not about spoiling your employees; it’s about giving them the most comfortable workspace possible so that they can also be at their most optimal, energetic, motivated, and productive. If some appliances need repair, don’t wait until someone has to tell you. Be a leader by example in this area, and you would find that your team members would also be strategic and proactive problem solvers like you.
Strategic
Speaking of being strategic, visionaries also have to be good at planning. Being a visionary might be about seeing an ideal future, sure, but how to get there is another thing. A true visionary is someone good at both dreaming and executing. If you truly want to be a visionary entrepreneur, then you need to learn how to strategize so that you don’t just leave the execution of your dreams to your team members and employees.
Collaborative
Building anything of value will always take a village. Steve Jobs may be a household name, but he’s not the only one who brought Apple to where it is today. Jobs also had a team of engineers, marketing professionals, designers, and other specialists to ensure that the brand would come up with the best products that would change the world, one user at a time.
Jobs may have envisioned where Apple would go, but he needed a team of qualified individuals to get there. This is why if you want to build something great, you cannot neglect collaboration and teamwork. True visionaries know they are not perfect, and they are not always correct, so having a team who can help you bring your vision to life is important.
Emotionally intelligent
True visionaries should not only be mentally or academically intelligent; they need to have a high level of emotional quotient too. This is because failure and challenges will always be part of building something of great value. Visionaries should be ready for these difficulties, and they need to know that it’s all about how they get back up after a fall that can make a difference.
If you want to be a visionary and not just a businessman, make sure you have these qualities in your arsenal. They are the building blocks for being the leader and entrepreneur that you dream of being.