Lead Like a Visionary – Strategies That Scale from Teams to Enterprises

0:01I like simple stuff that works, you know, and they are the difference between leading a team that survives and leading a company that thrives. They're the difference between short term results and long term legacy. So welcome, everybody. Today, we are going to be talking all about visionary leadership and how we make a true difference in the world as leaders. because it isn't easy. So we're here to help at Brave Bold Brilliant. So welcome everyone. Jeanette here. We're going to have a truly expansive and empowering conversation about, you know, what it really means to lead like a visionary, not just as a founder with a big idea, not just as someone managing a team of five, 50 or 50 ,000, but as a leader who is here to scale, impact, shape the culture and really build something that lasts.

0:58So in my experience of 30 plus years in business, visionary leadership isn't about a title. It's not reserved for FTSE 100 businesses or Silicon Valley disruptors. It's about owning the direction of your business with clarity, conviction and courage. And more importantly, it's about how you lead others into that direction with trust and intention. So whether you're a solo founder with a growing consultancy, or you might be the managing director or CEO of a nine or 10 figure enterprise, visionary leadership, it's the skill set that transforms reactive businesses into purpose driven, future ready organisations.

1:45You know, right now, let's be honest, more than ever, We really need leaders who are willing to see beyond the noise. Leaders who are bold enough to chart a path towards uncertain times. Leaders who don't just maintain the status quo, but shape what comes next. So if you're ready to make this shift, this conversation is absolutely for you. Now, if we are not connected on social media, let's get connected. so you're going to find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, even TikTok under Jeanette Linfoot so let's get connected, let's follow each other and of course you know with Brave Bold Brilliant we're here to really make a unique difference in the community of business and life actually so you know do check us out on YouTube, you might be watching this live on YouTube actually Or you might be listening back to this on the podcast, Brave Bold Brilliant.

2:44So whether it's YouTube, whether it is Spotify, whether it is Apple Podcasts, hit that subscribe button because that is when you're going to get notified when we go live with a new episode or with a new little video. And genuinely, genuinely, the reason why I set up Brave Bold Brilliant is so that I can help as many people as possible. We can get connected and we can really make a shift in the world of business, entrepreneurship and, as I say, life in general. So today, what I'm going to do is I'm going to walk you through three transformative shifts in your leadership style and your strategic thinking.

3:27Now, these shifts, they're going to support you to really scale with more ease, energise your teams, create alignment across your business. You know, it doesn't just feel good, but it drives results. We are here to deliver results as leaders. So let's get into it. So you might want to grab a pen and paper, make some notes. That's always good. If you have a question on any of this or maybe you're in the middle of a transformation yourself as a leader or with your business, So you just want a little bit of advice, then, you know, do reach out, drop me a DM or put a comment in the post here that you might be listening to this to or watching it on because we're here to help and support each other.

4:11So let's go for this. Shift number one. Now, this is really about your vision, you know, and it's not just a poster. It's a real compass. And I want to start here because this is where most businesses get stuck. You know, what's your why? You know, we treat our vision like it's a bit of a tagline often and something that sounds nice on our about page on the website. You know, we might have done a vision in session years ago and, you know, we haven't revisited it since. You know, but here's the truth. You know, your vision, it's not just a sentence. It's a strategy. You know, when you lead like a visionary, your future state isn't something that you just hope for.

4:52It really does become the anchor for every decision you make. So getting clear on your purpose, getting clear on your why and getting clear on your vision, it provides that direction, especially when the terrain is messy. You know, it gives your team clarity when they're spinning their multiple wheels with the work that they have to do. And as a leader, it gives you confidence to say no to the noise. So let's just take a pause. I want to challenge you right now. If I asked you to describe the future you're building in one sentence, could you do it? Could your team do it? Now, if you can't, don't worry about it.

5:40Let's start where we are. articulate it in simple clear emotionally connected language then repeat it everywhere you might want to do a brainstorming session actually with your team get you get your guys together even if you have a clear vision it's good to check back in you know is it still relevant or has things shifted a little bit and then of course it's about tying it into you know your objectives your kpis even the way you reward your teams so you know bringing it into your one-to-ones reinforce it in your hiring conversations you know if you're recruiting we're expanding our team right now so we're in a recruitment drive and when we're having interviews with potential candidates we will be sharing with them our vision for brave bold brilliant and what it means to be part of this team what does it mean in terms of the values we're looking for so you know it's it's a very real thing having a clear purpose a clear reason why and a clear vision in terms of where you're heading it's not just some fluffy bs that doesn't get used if you do it right you know and of course you know strategy meetings quarterly reviews you can bring it into all these different areas because here's what happens when you lead with a living vision your people don't just follow you they carry the torch with you you know and it's a bit like the olympics isn't it you know we pass on the baton and we really feel the emotion behind what we're trying to achieve as a team So your vision, it's not just, as I say, a motivational slogan, a poster you might put up in the office.

7:15It really is. If you do it right and you do it with, you know, values and you do it with emotion and passion collectively, especially with your team, you know, it's your organizational compass. So that is shift number one. Number two, let's get into this. So this is about you shifting from being a firefighter to being the architect. all right so if you're growing fast or maybe you're leading in complexity you know when we're in the early stages of businesses or we're managing really intense transitions it might be that you've acquired a business actually or it could be that you're in a large corporate organization and there's a lot going on there could have been a change of leadership or a change of board level or maybe you've got a new boss or maybe the strategy is shifting you know it's very natural when we're busy people to fall into that firefighter mode we put out fires and sometimes we need to do that we do let's be honest however you know if you're trying to answer every question you know and you're getting really stuck into the detail then you know you're firefighting and not really leading and you know that it's exhaustion sometimes dressed up as heroism you know have you heard the saying being a busy fool now it isn't easy because as I say sometimes there are demands that require you to roll your sleeves up and get stuck in and that's fine but true visionary leaders move from reacting to designing they become the architects of the systems the processes the cultures that make their team less dependent on them and that means zooming out you know really taking yourself out of the weeds you know what's the root cause here what's the pattern what needs to be built so this doesn't happen again you know when i was leading large corporate teams as the md of the emerging markets for tui i had a team teams in russia ukraine china india brazil you know i i had to learn this the hard way you know because i couldn't be in every meeting especially given the geographical spread of my of my team you know and when i was the ceo of the travel division at saga which is a footsie 250 to it was a footsie 100 business you know it's very easy to find yourself in every meeting you know getting giving input into every project and i've certainly been guilty of that over the years you know but actually you need to realize as i did that in trying to be helpful you're actually meddling and you're often holding your team back You know, so actually I, you know, at the time I hadn't created the system for them to succeed without me at the beginning.

9:55But that changed very fast. So the shift started with trust. You've got to document things. You've got to step back, even when it feels uncomfortable. You know, if you're always the busiest person in the business, you haven't yet stepped into this architect role we're talking about. So, you know, that's OK if that's where you are right now. Awareness is the beginning. but really ask yourself again i'll challenge you ask yourself some of these questions maybe spend a bit of time to write down what your answers are you know what parts of your business are still dependent on your daily decisions and how can you start building systems structures or people that carry that weight instead you know architects they don't build everything with their own hands They design the future in mind.

10:43And that is a real difference. So that has been shift number two. So let's get into shift number three. Repetition is reputation. Now, this one might surprise you. Most leaders resist repeating themselves. You would think I've said it once that should be enough, but it's not. If you want your vision to stick, your strategy to land, your values to live inside your company, you've got to repeat yourself a lot. Now, my husband, Chris, will probably say, I repeat myself too much. But anyway, that's another topic. But honestly, great leaders are not afraid of repetition. Repetition, repetition, repetition leads to mastery.

11:24Right. And keeping it simple. Let's not overcomplicate things. so you know that consistency it builds clarity and clarity builds trust and trust builds momentum you know one of the most transformative things i ever implemented was you know a simple weekly rhythm reconnecting my team to you know what what's that what was our north star not just with this big fanfare but just consistent meaningful reminders of where we're headed and why it mattered you know it might be that you have some simple visual tools around you know it It could be on your mouse, Matt. It could be on the, you know, the presentations that you do.

12:05But just that constant check back in with the team, with the people, you know, when you're with clients, reiterate how you're helping them and why that fits into the vision that you have for your business, but also for their business. You know, so what happened when I started to do this, the team didn't just hear the vision, they felt it. You know, they absolutely felt it. And they started leading from it. So it became a natural thing, a natural vernacular for everyone in the team. And they started reminding each other of it. You know, so if you're leading people, whether that's five, 50, 500, 5000, 50 ,000, again, let's just take a pause and ask yourself some questions.

12:54And again, I'd encourage you to write the answers down to this. Just spend a little bit of time. You know, what messages need to be heard again and again and again? Because repetition, it really does build the reputation and the focus that you're needing. and that reputation will shape your culture. So let's take a breath. I've just walked you through three essential shifts from treating vision like a poster to using it as a true compass, from firefighting problems to architecting scalable solutions and from resisting repetition to realising it's the key to consistency. So they may sound really simple, but they are so powerful.

13:40I like simple stuff that works. And they are the difference between leading a team that survives and leading a company that thrives. They're the difference between short term results and long term legacy. They are absolutely available to you right now. So here's what I want you to do. After you've either watched this live or you've listened to it on the podcast or you've watched it on YouTube, carve out just 30 minutes in an uninterrupted space, turn your phone off, no email, just you, a notebook and some quiet space. And I want you to ask yourself, what's the future I'm truly committed to creating?

14:25Where am I still operating as the firefighter? And how can I shift to being an architect? And what messages do my team and my customers and my clients need to hear again and again to feel connected, aligned and empowered? Three simple questions. And don't forget, you know, this is your leadership recalibration. It's your chance to shape your future for you, your team, your business, because visionary leadership isn't a gift. It's a choice. You have a choice. Every single time you step into the office, you jump on a team's call, you interact with someone in the business. You have a choice how you lead.

15:09And the moment you step into this visionary leadership of leading, certainly not doing and not just managing, you know, everything changes. Your energy changes, your team shifts, you know, and honestly, your results will absolutely follow. So you don't have to have it all figured out, but you do have to lead with intention. So just take that first step. Let your vision come alive. Design your business. You know, we scale in mind and speak your message until it becomes just part of your company's DNA. It's just who you are. It's what you do, because that's how we build legacies. That's how we lead with purpose.

15:48And that's how we show up brave, bold and, of course, brilliant. so thank you for being here i'll see you next time and remember it is by being brave and bold that you're going to genuinely unlock your brilliant and be that visionary leader that you absolutely can be and remember if you're not connected on social media let's get connected go to the website www.brave-bold-brilliant.com loads of free resources there for you and of course subscribe to the youtube channel and wherever you listen to your podcasts for brave bold brilliant So have an amazing day. Really look forward to hearing what's going on in your world.

16:28So drop us a DM if you need any help. We are 100 % here for you. And yeah, just remember, be brave, be bold and be brilliant. I really hope you've enjoyed this episode of Brave Bold Brilliant. Remember, check out our new website, www.brave-bold-brilliant.com. You're going to find loads of resources on there that's going to help you with your leadership journey and with the businesses that you're trying to scale up and grow. So take care, everyone. And remember, there are no limits to your growth, but it is by being brave and bold that you're going to unlock your brilliance.