Some of the most notable business people of our time are more than just people with a good business sense. They are visionaries, people who want to change the world, who develop products and services that have a palpable, sometimes even measurable effect on everyone’s lives. It’s been that way throughout history, too, but with the rate of innovation we have today, there’s always a couple of true visionaries in the public eye, making the big things happen.
“At their core, visionaries are just people with an idea how to change things,” says James William, founder of the revolutionary company TripleOne. “Some start with the idea and go from there, others start with the result and then engineer ways to get to them. Either way, visionaries know that they want things to look like, and they find ways to make it happen.”
Being so focused on what the future is supposed to be can leave more than a handful of blind spots. James William shares his top tips for young visionaries to make sure they know where to look for those.
Add Some Productivity Training for Balance
“It’s quite common for visionaries to spend a lot of time in their realm of ideas,” James explains. “That’s where things happen for them, or at least that’s where they start.” The problem is if their head becomes the only place where things happen.
Having the best ideas in the world means nothing if there are zero follow-throughs on them. That’s why every visionary should balance their headiness with some good old productivity training and skill development.
Everything from sticking to a schedule to reading books about the habits of effective people can help. Learning time management skills, practical skills, developing a productivity system, or adopting one of the many offered by self-help gurus can also work wonders for the budding visionary.
Keep the Feet on the Ground
When someone is very invested in moving the boundaries of what’s possible, they can easily start finding the regular world boring. For some, it can become something that’s there to be perfected, sort of like a canvas for them to paint their genius on, whether they have enough of it to spare or not.
Staying realistic and well-grounded in reality is something visionaries should actively work on. Becoming disconnected from real people can have all sorts of disastrous effects on the visionary, their family and immediate circle, and even the wider world. Learning to stay humble and keep both feet firmly on the ground are two things everyone should endeavor to do, visionaries even more so.
Invest in People
Sometimes, it’s entirely possible that the visionary is the smartest person in the room. It’s also possible that they’re not but are having trouble seeing past their nose. Either way, a visionary can be too busy, or even clueless, to pay attention to the valuable people who are around them.
“There’s a great team at TripleOne,” explains James William, “and I love working with them. The company also rests on the principles of decentralized business which encourage participation from a wider pool of people. No one is an island, and people should be shown they are appreciated and supported.”