Written by: Kaisa Siipilehto, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Don’t we all want to learn from the leading experts and thought leaders?
But who are those exactly? How do I know if I am one? Or how do I become a leader others will look up to?
These are the hot questions on the lips of many driven talents who want to make a greater impact in their careers and lives.
A career is no longer constituting from whatever 9to5 jobs that bring food to the table. Instead, people want to have meaningful work that aligns with their values, nurtures their purpose and generates the impact they want to see in the world.
Who can help us to make meaning and create that impact? Most often we want to have role models to guide us to find our own paths and ways to pursue our significance. But who can we use as role models when we want to solve a problem and create something that doesn’t exist yet?
As Einstein said, we cannot solve the current problems with the same kind of thinking we used for creating them. So, who is going to inspire us, empower us, and guide us who want to make the world work better?
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” — Albert Einstein
If we cannot find a guru, expert or changemaker who leads an example that resonates with our purpose, we can take initiative and become one. It requires a bit more effort than following someone else’s vision. On the other hand, discovering and pursuing your vision will create even greater joy and fulfilment.
Most people are afraid of tapping into this area as it requires stretching your comfort. Trust me, the reward will outweigh it.
This doesn’t mean you need to do it all alone. Surround yourself with people who resonate with your vision and who can support fulfilling it. Now that it is possible to connect with almost anyone from anywhere in the world, it has opened up new – and endless ‒ possibilities to build a team, gather tribes and lead a phenomenon.
Here are the 5 steps to becoming a visionary leader others want to look up to, follow and work with.
1. Craft a clear future vision
The first step to becoming a leader who strives for a significant impact is to have a clear future vision. Your vision will describe how you want to see the world in the future and what change you want to pursue in your professional life. It’s a skill to be able to see the world differently than what it is now and think about what you can do to get there. If you haven’t constructed a future vision yet, now is the time to come up with one. So, ask yourself:
What change(s) do you want to see in the world?
What impact does it have on you and others?
Why is it important for you and others?
2. Use your strong sides to strive the changes
Then it is time to think about what you have that can help you to pursue your vision and get us there. Using your strengths will not only make the journey easier but also more joyful and fulfilling. This means that when we get to practice and strengthen our natural personality traits we not only feel more capable, resourceful and confident pursuing the vision but we experience a lot of other positive well-being benefits like being happy, excited and valued. Now, ask yourself:
What is it that I have that will help me to make that difference?
What are my strong sides that will support advancing the vision?
What are the characteristics that will help me to stay on track and manage challenges?
3. Share your compelling vision
Sharing your vision with others will affect many things. First, it tells who you are and what you stand for. This is also a part of building your professional brand so be mindful of the words you use to describe your vision and the mission you are on.
Secondly, you can surround yourself with like-minded professionals who want to support your mission and possibly contribute to fulfilling your vision. Perhaps you could use ambassadors to spread the word or maybe you also need a team to help you get to your targeted vision. When you want to do great big things, do it with someone. So, I encourage you to think about:
How do I tell my vision to those in my network?
How do I communicate the value of my mission?
How can I tell it in one minute? And in one sentence?
4. Build an empowering tribe
We can achieve only so much alone. Even the most skilled and driven leaders need help along the way toward their vision. Therefore, I recommend surrounding yourself with other professionals who resonate with your vision, share your values and want to support your mission. Building an empowering network around you who can strengthen your abilities to pursue the vision is priceless. Connect with people who have especially different strengths and skills than you do and who can complement those of yours.
When you want to create something bigger than you I also recommend building a community where like-minded experts can find ways to support and empower each other – not only your mission but creating a larger impact together. Just think about what you can achieve together with your tribe?!
5. Be accountable to your meaning
Take words into action. It’s important to communicate the vision to ourselves and others. That’s where it starts and we need that awareness first before we can take action. Awfully many just stay dreaming about a better world. Then it’s not a vision – it’s a dream. A vision is what you take action towards.
When your vision is meaningful to you, you’ll notice its power to help you through any obstacle and challenge along the way. Creating something new and making changes often requires stepping outside our comfort. This is where the magic happens. I want you to have the courage to be uncomfortable. I want you to hold yourself accountable for making the needed actions and changes to create that impact you want to see and live. This is how you will be significant. This is how you will make meaning in your life.
I just had the pleasure to interview Rhett Power who is the leading thought leader in accountability. He said that the companies that have leaders and people who are accountable outperform their competitors. Then accountability is in the core values, change, growth and impact happen.
What now?
Are you ready to create the monumental growth, joy and impact that you want to live?
Or would you like to have more guidance from the global gurus?
This will help you move forward!
I’m hosting a free Courage to Lead Summit that airs live starting from 7/7/22. For the summit, I’m conducting 20+ interviews with global experts on forward-looking leadership. Make sure you’ll get an invitation to register by ordering my newsletter at www.liviojoy.com/order-newsletter and you’ll hear the top insights and strategies from Rhett Power and the other 20 experts who want to help you to thrive.
I got inspired to write this article as I’ve been seeking these authorities from forward-looking leadership topics. As I’ve connected with them and discussed their contribution to this summit, it has become clear what they have in common: They know their (current) purpose. They are leaning towards their strengths and who they are. Their vision is bigger than the success they want for themselves. They are accountable for taking action to fulfil the vision that is bigger than themselves. They want to see others succeed so much that they want to make themselves useless.
Welcome to learn from the well-experienced leadership experts, business and startup advisors, authors, coaches, consultants and team leaders. Let them help you to become a leader others want to look up to. Let them help you to create real value and impact in your life.
Your next step starts now.
Kaisa Siipilehto, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Want to transform your life and future? Kaisa Siipilehto, the founder of LIVIO JOY Ltd and Courage to Lead Community, helps purpose-driven experts lead their vision with courage. As a Leadership Coach and Growth Enabler, Kaisa offers a fresh solution-focused approach combining insights from her corporate experience, business knowledge and internationally recognized coaching methods. After ten years of progressing her career in brand marketing and enhancing customer experiences and engagement, Kaisa sought new opportunities to help the world work better. Certifying as a coach, living as a nomad entrepreneur and building a business on her purpose has given her an understanding of what it takes to make major changes that improve life satisfaction, joy and fulfilment. Since 2020, Kaisa has helped purpose-driven experts, leaders and entrepreneurs from over 20 nationalities living around Europe and The Americas to focus on what matters to them and transform their lives and careers.
