The Nautilus

Create Your Leadership Vision and Voice

“The very essence of leadership is that you have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.”
- Theodore Hesburgh

Vision and Voice is a guided process to help you articulate a clear vision, state your intended outcomes and expectations, and explicitly state what you are willing to do. It is a tool to motivate, inspire, and ensure clarity of thought and direction of action. Use this process with your staff, project team, stakeholders, individuals, superiors, co-workers, etc.

Create your own Leadership Vision and Voice by concisely answering the questions below. When you are finished, print your final draft.


Who is the audience I wish to reach? Teams, individuals, stakeholders, superiors, project teams, staff, etc.
Type in your desired audience below.

Example: The audience is a project team tasked with the final review of a new product before distribution.



Who am I? What do I stand for in my organization?
When you have an answer, type it in below. Keep your response to 2 sentences.

Example: I am the leader of the project team and the director of quality control. My job is to ensure that the new product is fully functional and delivers what the organization promises.

What do I care about? What are 3 values that guide my life and work?
Type in your answer below. Keep your response to 4 or 5 sentences.

Example: I care about doing a good job. I want this product to be everything we claim it is, to be safe and useful to the customer, to be free of defects and to be successful! I believe in rewarding those who do good work and who contribute to the team. I believe in being honest, both with each other and with the customer. I also believe there must be balance in our lives among work, family and self.

Where would I like to see this organization go? What are the results I am committed to?
Type in your answer below. Keep your response to 5 or 6 sentences.

Example: I would like to see this organization become a leading manufacturer of these kinds of products. I am committed to ensuring that this organization has the reputation for putting out excellent products that function properly and serve the needs of the customer. As such, I am committed to ensuring the quality of this product and to meeting the timeframe of 4 months for our deliverable.

What do I want from you (audience)? What are my requests of you?
Type in your answer below. Keep your response to 5 or 6 sentences.

Example: It is my expectation that you will all work hard over the next few months to ensure the quality of this product. I expect each of you to contribute your best to the accomplishment of our goals and to meet our deadline. I want you to be honest with me and with each other, to speak up about your concerns, and to work together as a team to find solutions.

What am I willing to give in return? What will I promise you? Type in your answer below. Keep your response to 5 or 6 sentences.

Example: In return for what I ask from you, I promise to be open to your ideas, even when they contradict my own. I promise to listen to each and every one of you, to give credit where credit is due, and to ensure that you will not have to work outrageous hours. I promise to work with you on a schedule that allows each of us reasonable time off over the next few months and ensures that we also meet our goals and deadlines. I promise that I will work hard to enforce that schedule so that we can all maintain some balance in our lives.