1

Lillianna Burton

Mrs. Jenkins

EBA Honors English 10

13 May 2019

Shared Visions

What motivates you? Is it a goal or maybe a person? We, as people, are more likely to

accomplish things if they matter to us. Every successful leader has something that pushes them

and their team to strive towards a cause. To be an effective leader, one must have a shared vision

that motivates people.

Contrary to what some may believe, it's rare to find a leader who doesn’t owe at least a

portion of their accomplishments to the people around them. Elena Bajic, the founder and CEO

of Ivy Exec, says “[i]f every individual, team, and business unit has a clear concept of how their

work helps to contribute to broader goals of the company (revenue or otherwise), it is far more

likely that they can work harmoniously to achieve them” (Bajic). She also goes on to explain that

“there should be an awareness of how the success of one, impacts the other” (Bajic). It’s

imperative for a leader to have a shared vision. It allows them to meet their goals and make their

ideas a reality. Greater accomplishments can be made when the value of a team is recognized

and Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post and author of over 15 books, agrees

with this. In the beginning chapters of her self-help book, ​Thrive​, she discusses how successful

leaders of companies “are realizing that their employees’ health is one of the most important

predictors of a company’s health” (Huffington 55). Leaders realize that people are their most
 2

valuable resource and without them there would be no one for them to lead. With that being said,

when a leader takes interest in the health and well-being of their team it makes the people feel

valued. They want to put more effort into the vision that is shared because their leader believes in

them and what they’re collectively working towards.

Motivating others is a common responsibility among leaders. As mentioned before, it

takes more than one individual to pursue a vision successfully. William Golding’s novel, ​Lord of

the Flies, ​portrays a group of adolescent boys deserted on an island struggling to survive. At the

beginning of the novel Golding introduces the leading character, Ralph, along with many other

boys. Aiming to calm the others, when they were in a panic, he says “[w]e want to be rescued;

and of course we shall be rescued” (Golding 37). By giving the boys hope, he gives them a

reason to follow him. Ralph saved the boys, but he did this by accomplishing a shared vision of

survival. Another example of this is in Ayn Rand’s novel, ​Anthem. I​ n the book a man, Equality,

forbiddenly falls in love with a young woman in a “utopia” styled society. Although thinking for

yourself is against the law, they bond, and he teaches her to want more from the life they live

now, something filled with knowledge, joy, and freedom. Days after they both successfully

escaped their society, Rand describes the two as they “look into each other’s eyes” and recognize

“the breath of a miracle had touched” them (Rand 87). Equality’s ability to share his vision with

others allowed for both of them to build a new, fruitful life together.

Some of the most influential leaders started off with little to no following, and this was

the case for 16-year-old, Greta Thunberg. Greta is a climate activist who fights to educate people

in climate denial and often organizes peaceful strikes to push her cause. In a Times magazine

article, she says she started “sitting outside the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm, carrying a sign
 3

emblazoned with Stolstrejk for Klimatet ( School Strike for Climate)” (Haynes). Shortly after she

began to gather a large audience who were just as passionate and willing to fight for the cause as

she was. This has helped her be more widely recognized by the public and even by the U.K.

Houses of Parliament. She has become a leader to young people everywhere, giving them hope

and a purpose to fight for their future. Although Greta started on her own, people believed in her

vision and began to trust and follow her.

Rather than taking it on all by themselves, true leaders acknowledge the need for people

and sharing their vision. Indisputable leaders give people a reason to feel esteemed because they

are led to work towards something they believe is tangible. They recognize the value of

individuals working together and use it to accomplish a common goal.

 4

Works Cited

Bajic, Elena. “Why Communicating Vision Is the Single Most Important Thing You Can Do.” ​Forbes,​

Forbes Magazine, 27 Dec. 2017,

www.forbes.com/sites/elenabajic/2017/12/27/why-communicating-vision-is-the-single-most-imp

ortant-thing-you-can-do/#f647ee01e648​. (Date Accessed May 14).

Golding, William. ​Lord of the Flies. ​New York, Penguin Group, 2003.

Haynes, Suyin. “'Now I Am Speaking to the Whole World.' How Teen Climate Activist GretaThunberg

Got Everyone to Listen.” ​Time​, Time, 16 May 2019,

time.com/collection-post/5584902/greta-thunberg-next-generation-leaders/. (Date Accessed May

16).

Huffington​, ​Arianna Stassinopoulos.​ Thrive. W

​ H Allen​, 2015.

Rand, Ayn.​ Anthem. ​Cassell, 1938.

5