The Role of Vision in Leadership

A vision, in any institution or individual, constitutes the forethoughts regarding what the prospects of the future would be like. Vision is highly attributed to an institution or individual’s mission, goals, objectives, and purposes, such that the vision of what is expected and wanted to take place in the future becomes their mission, goal, or objective and defines their purpose in their daily undertakings. (“Terminology to Help You”)Vision becomes a motivation for institutions or individuals, most especially leaders who will be the main focus of this written work, to act and work on the realization of their vision.

Due to the motivating concept of vision, it plays a valuable role in behavioral processes – most especially leadership. The role that vision plays in the leadership skills and capabilities of Information Technology or IT managers will be discussed in the following passages, for the significant reason that the management directs institutions into turning an institution’s vision a reality (“Glossary”). IT management is a complex process because of the practical and technical aspect of IT as a requirement for institutions.

Implementing IT in the workplace requires the accomplishment of certain tasks and responsibilities, such as technological planning, budgeting, forecasting potential risks and threats, monitoring, etc. (“Information Technology Management”) These complex, diverse, and numerous processes are deeply rooted on the vision that leaders have for the institution and is dependent on management skills propelled by this vision. (Anderson, 1999)

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One view of the role of vision in leadership is that leaders, such as IT managers, establish a vision of the organization (“Vision & Leadership”) depending on IT needs and concerns as indicated by project plans and proposals. This means that excellent leadership from IT managers lies in their ability to formulate a clear and desirable vision for an institution following the context of IT. The vision that IT managers formulate directs the actions or processes that will take place within the organization for IT managers to control and steer business operations into the realization of the established vision.

Another view relates that IT managers work around an institution’s established vision, and that the focus of leadership is on carrying out the realization of the vision and not on its establishment by the management. (Anderson, 1999) Although these two views are different, vision is both seen as an important process that influences leadership that IT managers display. IT companies have perceived the importance of vision, if not directly realized its significance, in organizational success.

Having a vision for IT institutions is seen by organizations to be highly important, due to its contributions to business strategies and approaches. CIO leaders have seen that being leaders or excellent managers in advocating technology, which is a long-term plan which constitutes the vision of IT institutions, is more important than being leaders for the technical and practical aspect of it, which is a short-term plan.

CIO’s view establishing a road map for the institution to follow is highly instrumental in looking at an institution’s future and planning business strategies that shall be followed which allows only success for the organization. (Chester, 2006) Another view of vision is its role in the life of IT managers. The vision should dictate how IT managers should work within their work environment. This part not only constitutes establishing a vision, but living within the context of that vision in order to be focused on the things that IT managers need to do in order to accomplish this vision.

Living within the context of the vision of an institution in the field of IT means that IT managers are prepared to sustain that vision at all cost by monitoring business strategies and operations, engaging in evaluation or assessment procedures, establishing other goals and objectives that will improve the IT system within the organization, overseeing the performance of human capital, and such. After the evaluation or assessment process, IT managers are expected to reframe the IT system in order to further possibilities of accomplishing timely and efficiently the vision set out for the institution.(Anderson, 1999)

Resources

Anderson, L. S. (1999). Nurturing the IT Culture. National Center for Technology Planning. Retrieved October 22, 2008, from NCTP. Website: http://www. nctp. com/articles/nurture. pdfChester, T. M. (2006). A Roadmap for IT Leadership and the Next Ten Years. Educause Quarterly. Retrieved October 22, 2008, from Educause. Website: http://net. educause. edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0626. pdf “Glossary. ” (2008). Retrieved October 22, 2008, from ITIL. Website: http://www. itil. org/en/shortcuts/glossarinhalt/glossarv. php

“Information Technology Management. ” (2008). Retrieved October 22, 2008, from National Association for Court Management. Website: http://www. nacmnet. org/CCCG/cccg_4_corecompetency_ITmgmt. html “Terminology to Help You. ” (2008). Retrieved October 22, 2008, from Nova Scotia Agricultural College. Website: http://www. nsac. ns. ca/admin/stratplan/terms. asp “Vision and Leadership. ” (2008). Retrieved October 22, 2008, from National Association for Court Management. Website: http://www. nacmnet. org/CCCG/cccg_4_corecompetency_itmgmt_cg2. html

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