The things we dream about define us. There’s that chasm between what we want and where we are at today. Our striving each day is to go after the dreams and hopes we have. If you don’t want much, there is only the mundane to settle for. However, if your vision is large, then it’s not enough to just settle on relationships. They have to match up.
I can see many times where it was tempting to work with people that settled for less than I wanted. It always ended in frustration. Our vision was not the same and to walk a journey of adversity together with someone who is thinking completely different is folly. Strong partnerships are built on shared vision.
Asking the simple question, “What do you want?”, can unpack a lot of what is in someone’s heart. Both the specificity of their desires as well as the commitment based on their intensity of sharing their vision can be measured. If it doesn’t resonate with you, then it’s hard to be pulling in the same direction.
It doesn’t matter if you belong to the same club, circles, church, company or whatever. Everyone wants something different to varying degrees. Being able to precisely assess this in people is a critical leadership and business skill.
Whether you are pursuing a customer, a relationship or a new employee, think long and hard about what you observe with respect to their vision. Do they want what you want? Do you both want the same thing just as badly? It’s a match if you can answer positively. It’s heartache and wasted time any other way.
As the new year is coming, consider looking at your relationships and think about which ones create drag because of unshared vision. Look for relationships that are centered around the same vision. It will go a long way towards making dreams happen.
