DEFINITION:
The term “vision” refers to the personality trait of bringing broad knowledge and imagination to bear in setting optimal achievable goals and, more generally, in handling situations that require extensive short- and long-term planning.
ETYMOLOGY:
Vision has long been a commonly acknowledged virtue or character trait.
However, the wide acceptance of the term “vision” in the personality psychology literature may perhaps be traced to the influence of two book, in particular:
(1) Leadership, by the American historian and political scientist, James MacGregor Burns, first published in 1978.
(2) Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge, by the American professors of business and management, Warren G. Bennis (1925–2014) and Burton B. Nanus (b. 1936), first published in 1985.
The English noun “vision” is attested from the thirteenth century. It derives, via Middle English and Middle French, from the Classical Latin noun vīsio, vīsionis, meaning “a seeing” or “a view.” Vīsio is connected to the past particle vīsus of the verb vīdeo, vīdere, meaning “to see.”
DISCUSSION:
Apart from overseeing and managing one’s employees, perhaps the most-important function of a leader is planning for the future. This is why “vision” is one of the most-significant personality traits of a good leader.
Those who score high for “vision” enjoy, and are good at, thinking about the “big picture” in which their team, their department, and their company operate.
The term “vision” is an apt description of this vital aspect of leadership because it consists largely of the leader’s capacity literally to visualize the circumstances relevant to his or her company’s performance, now and in the future.
Thus, “vision” indicates a feature of the human imagination which allows leaders to “see” which causes are currently leading to which effects and how changing something in one place will lead to a different result in another place.
In short, “vision” provides leaders with a rational basis for setting goals, planning actions, and making changes in their organizations.