How to Become a More Visionary Leader

Abstract

Visionary leaders exist in all levels of administration, leadership, and management, regardless of the titles they hold. This article argues that every healthcare leader has the potential to become more visionary. It describes specifically what it means to be a visionary leader and explores the benefits of visionary leadership both to the healthcare organization and to the individual. It describes eight characteristics that visionary leaders typically share and provides readers with 15 practical, how-to-do-it strategies that they can use to develop their visionary skills. Finally, this article suggests that there is an avoidable dark side to visionary leadership, describes 10 common mistakes visionary leaders make, and suggests how readers can sidestep them.