Sadly, an alarming number of companies miss out on the benefits of a shared vision. Instead, they flounder because their leaders fail to join together in a common purpose. Suffering from misalignment, these organizations waste precious energy and are held back from realizing their full potential.

To enlist others in a common purpose, leaders must emphasize two essentials: 1) unity, and 2) clarity. If either is missing, the consequences can be disastrous. To illustrate, let’s look at three childhood pastimes.

1. Tug-of-War

Due to the silos within many businesses, leaders develop separate visions. Although each vision may be clear, there’s no unity or singleness of purpose. Like a game of tug-of-war, competing visions pull the organization in opposite directions. Divided from within, the organization squanders its energy on internal squabbles rather than focusing its attention on customers.

2. Twister

When an organization has unity but lacks clarity, the result looks like a game of Twister. Everyone works at cross-purposes and the organization ends up as a tangled and jumbled mess. Without a clear purpose, chaos and confusion reign supreme. Lacking direction, people get in each other’s way and wind up frustrated.

3. Catching Fireflies

When a group of kids decide to hunt fireflies, they have no trouble unifying around a clear vision. The goal? Catch as many as you can. The children don’t have lengthy arguments over the best-sized jar to use, nor do they agonize over which net has the greatest firefly-trapping potential. They’re so excited and energized to capture fireflies that they will make the best of whichever supplies are available.

Summary

When an organization enjoys a common purpose, tremendous energy is present to propel it forward. However, absent of clarity or unity, companies squander their energy by infighting or running down uncertain paths. The responsibility rests with leaders to paint a clear picture of success and to make sure all parties agree with the organization’s vision for the future.