It takes sight to see the seed in a fruit. However, it takes vision to see a forest inside a seed – Anonymous
The Gospels tell us of a moment when Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee. There, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew, casting a net into the water, for they were fishermen. He told them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
Imagine Peter—an ordinary fisherman—hearing those words. A rabbi, a teacher, was calling him to follow and redefine his life’s purpose. He was being invited to leave the security of his trade for something unfamiliar: people.
And Peter responded. The Gospel says, “Immediately they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:20).
The Bible refers to Jesus’ followers as disciples—from the Greek mathetes, meaning “learner” or “student.” These disciples, many of them tradespeople and fishermen, would go on to transform the world, not with weapons or armies, but with a message of love, forgiveness, and hope.
Today, more than two billion people worldwide still follow that same rabbi’s teachings.
What inspired such radical loyalty?
Vision.
Great leaders do not merely manage tasks—they cast vision. They paint a picture of the future so vivid and compelling that people are moved to act.
Take Steve Jobs, for example. In 1983, he famously recruited John Sculley, then President of PepsiCo. After several attempts to lure him to Apple failed, Jobs finally asked:
“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”
That one question sealed the deal. Sculley joined Apple.
Ironically, Sculley would later oversee Jobs’ removal as CEO. Under his leadership, Apple lost its creative edge. By the mid-1990s, the company was in decline, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.
Then Jobs returned—and so did vision.
In 1998, he hired Tim Cook, Compaq’s seasoned supply chain executive. Cook later described how Jobs’ clarity of vision and deep conviction won him over. At a time when other tech companies were backing away from consumer electronics, Jobs leaned in. He saw a future shaped by intuitive, beautifully designed products and pursued it relentlessly.
Cook helped turn that vision into reality. Today, Apple is one of the most valuable companies in history.
It all came down to vision—seeing what others could not, and daring to believe it was possible.
Another powerful example comes from President John F. Kennedy.
In 1961, NASA had a sprawling list of objectives. However, on May 25 of that year, Kennedy addressed Congress and issued a bold challenge:
“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”
That one sentence galvanized a nation. Everyone at NASA—from astronauts to janitors—knew the goal. There is a well-known (possibly apocryphal) story of a janitor at NASA who, when asked what he was doing, replied:
“I am helping put a man on the Moon.”
Though Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, his vision lived on. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface. The mission was complete.
That is the power of vision.
Managers maintain the present. Leaders create the future.
Managers optimize what is. Leaders imagine what could be—and inspire others to make it real. Leadership demands courage because innovation is risky and often leads to failure. However, as any successful leader knows, failure is just feedback—knowledge gained about how not to do something.
If you are not failing, you are not growing, and if you’re not growing, you are not leading.
So, what do you see when you look at your team?
Your team members are seeds. You, the leader, are the gardener. The culture you cultivate—your environment, values, and expectations—determines whether those seeds grow into towering trees or wither in shallow soil.
What is culture? Culture is the climate that enables self-actualization—the place where people do their best work and feel safe to grow.
How do you build such a culture?
Start by leading by example.
Then, build it on the foundation of virtue. In today’s world, virtue is rarely discussed, but centuries ago, it was everything. A virtuous leader creates a culture of:
- Integrity: Your word is your bond. People should be able to rely on you like drivers trust a bridge to hold firm. That is structural integrity. Leaders must have moral integrity.
- Respect: Treat people with dignity. Hold yourself to the same standard you hold them to.
- Humility: Admit when you are wrong. Share credit. Say, “I do not know.” Show that you are human.
- Empathy is the glue of great teams. It means seeing your team members as whole human beings. Behind every employee is a father, a daughter, a caregiver, and a dreamer. Treat them as such.
So I will ask again: What vision are you casting?
If someone pulled aside one of your team members today and asked, “Where is this team going?”—would they know? Would they answer with conviction, as that NASA janitor did?
Moreover, if you were gone tomorrow, would your vision endure?
A leader without vision is just a manager.
However, a leader with vision builds something greater than themselves.
They build a legacy.
Sources:
- The Holy Bible, Matthew 4:18 20 (ESV)
- Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs (Simon & Schuster, 2011)
- Tim Cook, Interview with Charlie Rose, PBS, 2014
- John F. Kennedy, “Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National Needs,” May 25, 1961
- Simon Sinek, Start with Why (Penguin, 2009)