Perils of the Visionary Leader (or the Razor’s Edge)
“The Sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path to salvation is hard.”
– “The Razor’s Edge”
W. Somerset Maugham
Excerpted from “The Katha Upanishad”
A leader’s responsibility comes in two parts: One – envisioning the future, the other – managing brilliantly in the present. Teetering on this “razor’s edge” requires a human being with exceptional balance. Whether it’s thriving in a better future she imagines, or surviving in a worse one; the job is hers: to see it, plan it, and manage the migration.
The perils:
1. Married to the Present
Managing well requires a deep awareness of every aspect of the business and our myriad reasons for being just here! With so much invested in the best possible present, it can become difficult to contemplate moving on – particularly for founders. Leaving behind their first creation: the first building, team, humble mission statement, first dollar in its frame, and the traditions and cultural accumulations of the firm can bring on separation anxiety and become a powerful incentive for remaining (stuck!) in the present!
2. Threatening the Present
“To imagine the future is to threaten the present.” Richard James
Merely imagining a different future can be very unsettling. Most of us prefer things to remain the way they are – even if they’re not great, at least they’re familiar. In a more perfect future, some of us might be found redundant, and therefore; dispensable… Thus, the future can be a “clear and present danger” to the present. When the CEO starts thinking such things out loud, people start to worry — and resist.
3. Pulling away from the Team
Creating the future (that’s what envisioning is, right?) requires the powerful exercise of dedication and imagination. To build a successful future for an entire organization is no easy task. In order to muster that much focus, one has to pull away from the present – with obvious corollary damage: tasks languish, communication becomes episodic and distracted, energy and sleep arrive in irregular fits and starts, and the trappings and polish of the office suffer from inattention. (Ever encounter a disheveled CEO in the hallway, the morning after an all night planning session?)
4. Apparency of Delirium
Imagine a conversation with someone who constantly looks up, down and away, then darts into a fuzzy focus on faraway. Not the best conversationalist obviously, but if they’re also extra animated with some odd gestures while failing to bring you into the process; you’d be within your rights to consider them dotty, delirious or downright daft. But they’re committed to their vision – which nobody else can see. They might resist any critical appraisal, or any counter creation… making them difficult in meetings. The man shambling through the airport jetway muttering to himself about the ‘shining city on the hill,’ might just be St. Francis! Then again…. Such people can evacuate a subway car, clear a park bench or level the nearby tables in a restaurant — as people flee the radioactive grandeur of the vision. Yet this is precisely how an imaginative CEO can appear in the throes of a visionary moment.
These are the perils of the visionary leader. As they devote themselves to the vision, they can leave friends, colleagues and family behind; dominating discussions; not really connecting to us or waiting to gain support and understanding. Next time you encounter such a person on a park bench, inquire if they’re a CEO on a “Creation Break” from the office – and guide them safely home.
Some guidelines for Visionary Leaders attempting to walk the razor’s edge:
- You’re in a tough place, one foot in the present – managing it for everyone’s benefit, and one foot in the future – projecting your vision ahead to create the space we’re moving toward. You have to get us there safely. Forgive yourself if you lose balance from time to time.
- Recognize that most mortals find the exercise of creativity weird, destabilizing and un-nerving. Keep it out of public view and safely private until absolutely necessary to recruit allies and teammates.
- Once you’ve got a handle on the future, it may become dear to you, and every day apparently wasted in the present becomes an offense against the vision. Perhaps without noticing it, you may become curt, short and critical of everyone else’s easy present life. The compelling, demanding vision of the perfect corporation, building, nation or perfect cure can make “dwelling in the now” downright uncomfortable. Spend a little time in the gym or the garden to come down from the height.
- If everyone could lead, they might – but most can’t, so they don’t. Let them off the hook if they can’t duplicate your view or flourish at your altitude. Recognize that this is the meaning of the charge: Noblesse Oblige – the Obligation of the Noble One to Lead. Suffer the burden gladly.
- The bridge to the future, after you’ve imagined it, will be your ability to describe it so other people can see it too – there, just over the next hill. Your skills as a speaker will be sorely needed, to paint the picture, mark the path and motivate people to start moving.
So. Here’s a “path to salvation”: Stabilize and thrive in the present while channeling the vision, and protecting the team from the white heat of your creativity and fevered commitment. When the time is right; form and then tell the story of how your firm came to a sharp threatening turn and then discovered a new path up the mountain into the future.
Boldly walk the razor’s edge!
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