Have you ever heard a leader say this?
“My team doesn’t seem to be on board.”
“Things aren’t moving in the right direction.”
“Why isn’t anyone excited about this?”
“It feels like my team just isn’t connecting with the vision.”
Whether you’re a founder navigating the complexities of growth, a CEO scaling a high-performing team, or an HR director tasked with energizing an organization, these thoughts may sound familiar. They often signal a deeper challenge: bridging the gap between vision and team adoption.
Principle 6: Adoption is not an afterthought.
Vision360 Leadership Principle 6: Adoption is Not an Afterthought
In Visionary Leadership, I talk about the autonomy-empowerment paradox. It sounds like this:
A founder decides to launch out and start a business after months of deliberation. They crave freedom — to be more creative, have a flexible schedule, and make more money than in their full-time job. To achieve that autonomy, they must grow and scale their company. Sounds simple, right? As if!
Growing and scaling requires the founder to invite others to join their vision journey. They hire team members, managers, and eventually, other executives. To preserve their autonomy, they empower team members to make decisions. It’s a tradeoff. They give decision-making power to trusted team members in exchange for their perceived freedom. They break free from having a boss, only to discover they now have multiple bosses—more commonly known as “stakeholders.” But I’m getting ahead of myself.
In giving decision-making power to team members, the newly minted founder has communicated a sense of trust. The trust that the executive builds with their team members is reciprocated. This is where things can go off the rails if an executive doesn’t understand the level of trust they’ve built and how they built it.
The Leadership Challenge: Adoption Requires Engagement
Far too many visionary leaders directly or indirectly impose a vision on their organization. Herein lies the problem: A company’s culture will launch an attack on new threats to the status quo. A new vision qualifies for such mayhem unless allowed to emerge from the culture.
To adopt a vision, team members must feel a sense of ownership. Adoption isn’t about selling the vision after it’s fully formed; it’s about involving your people during the formative stages.
Remember, team members adopt visions they helped to create.
The Power of Early Buy-In
When leaders engage their teams early in the visioning process, something remarkable happens:
Increased Ownership: Team members feel like co-creators, not passive participants.
Cultural Alignment: The vision is more likely to align with existing values, reducing resistance.
Sustained Momentum: Early adopters become champions, driving broader uptake across the organization.
Practical Tips for Enhancing Adoption
Want to apply Vision360 Leadership Principle 6? Here’s where to start:
Rewind to Inclusion: If your vision hasn’t gained traction, revisit its early stages. Identify ways to involve key stakeholders and make adjustments based on their input.
Stakeholder Mapping: Understand who your key influencers are and actively engage them in the process.
Ask, Don’t Tell: Use open-ended questions to invite team input. For example, "What does success look like to you in this initiative?"
Connecting to Vision360 Leadership Coaching
At Teaiiano Leadership Solutions, we empower leaders to align their visions with team engagement. Our workshops and coaching are designed to help you:
Navigate the autonomy-empowerment paradox.
Foster trust and ownership across your team.
Build and sustain momentum for your vision.
Here’s how you can get started today:
Closing Reflection
Adoption isn’t an afterthought—it’s a cornerstone of visionary leadership. Leaders who engage their teams early and often create cultures that embrace, rather than resist, change.
Are you ready to break the cycle of disconnection and build a team that’s fully on board with your vision?
Stay tuned for Principle 7 where we’ll explore de-risking new ventures.
Visionary Leadership: A Guidebook for 21st Century Organizations and Entrepreneurial Teams introduces the Vision360 Leadership model—a framework crafted to help leaders and teams transform vision into reality. At Teaiiano Leadership Solutions, we integrate these principles into every aspect of our coaching, consulting, and leadership development to empower you to anticipate change, innovate with confidence, and achieve lasting success. You can purchase your copy of the book here to dive deeper into these transformative strategies, or explore more insights and resources at our home base: www.teaiiano.com.
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