Having Ideas Versus Having a Vision. Thoughts on Roberto Verganti's Recent Post

Just wanted to share a great blog post that I recently read on Harvard Business Review. Entitled "Having Ideas Versus Having a Vision," Robert Berganti in one short article breaks down the difference among those of us that have "ideas" vs. those that are truly "visionary." In Mr. Verganti's article, the difference is quite explicit, though often, we fail to see that difference in our daily actions. 

Specifically, Mr. Verganti defines "ideas" as something that occurs "fast" and are very "numerous" where the more occurrences, the better. Whereas in contrast, "visionary leadership" requires a relentless exploration of one direction with a "deep and robust understanding" of the issues and direction. More specifically, he makes clear that this profound difference is not only in the process, but the very way in which we think. Especially when it comes to making real change. In short, he believes that to be a visionary you must do things completely differently. That thought is neatly summed up in the following quote:

To generate fresh ideas we have been told to think outside of the box and then jump back in; vision building destroys the box and builds a new one. It does not     play with the existing paradigms; it changes them.

What struck me as most interesting about this article was the way in which it highlighted the "trap" that many employees and employers fall into regarding change in an organization. While many of us like to think of ourselves as visionary, the fact is, most of us are simply throwing ideas at a problem hoping that one answer "sticks" and solves the problem of the day. The implication of this fact of course, is that rarely does an organization spend the time to deeply understand an issue, putting all concerns (or sacred cows) on the table, in order to effect change. This happens even in the face of real and substantial challenges that organizations face. 

In my personal experience, I couldn't agree more with the way in which the definition of ideas and vision. Frankly, much of my day job is filled with proposing ideas to problems and only rarely do I seek to develop a true vision. In fact, there are probably only three or four situations that I can honestly say I acted as a visionary in the way Mr. Verganti defines. Interestingly, those experiences are the ones that I consider to be the most fulfilling...where I have seen real change, real opportunity, and have really made a difference.

So how about you? Are you an "ideas" person? Or a "visionary?"