2.2.9.3. Required Readings
The readings selected for this lesson deepen your understanding of vision as a deliberate strategic mechanism rather than an aspirational statement. Each resource has been intentionally chosen for its ability to expand how you think about the future, decision-making, identity, and long-term leadership architecture. Together, they reinforce the premise that vision is not inspiration — it is design, discipline, and intentional direction applied over time.
Begin with Simon Sinek, The Infinite Game (Chapter 2: “Just Cause”). This chapter reframes vision as something larger than a measurable goal or short-term milestone. Sinek introduces the idea that compelling vision requires a cause worth pursuing across time — one that remains meaningful even when circumstances change, markets shift, or challenges surface. This reading strengthens the understanding that an effective vision is enduring, principle-driven, and resilient — not dependent on outcomes, approval, or temporary success.
Next, engage with Richard Rumelt, Good Strategy/Bad Strategy (Chapter: “The Kernel of Good Strategy”). While not explicitly positioned as a text on vision, this chapter clarifies the structural difference between statements that sound ambitious and those that meaningfully guide direction, prioritization, and execution. Rumelt’s framework reveals how clarity, focus, and constraint transform vision from language into operational architecture. The reading underscores a critical leadership truth: a vague vision weakens execution, while a clearly defined one sharpens alignment and accelerates progress.
Finally, read Peter Schwartz, The Art of the Long View (Chapter: “The Scenario-Building Animal”). This chapter expands your ability to think beyond linear timelines and predictable outcomes. Schwartz introduces strategic imagination — the disciplined process of constructing multiple plausible futures rather than relying on assumptions or prediction. Through this lens, uncertainty becomes a tool rather than a barrier. Vision becomes directional orientation, not forecast. This reading reinforces the understanding that leaders do not wait for the future — they design for it.
Approach these readings as tools for refinement rather than confirmation. The purpose is not to agree or disagree, but to expand perspective, deepen clarity, and evolve your relationship with how vision functions in leadership. As you read, pay attention to what challenges your thinking, what sharpens it, and what expands it. Vision strengthens through exposure, repetition, and reflection — and these texts serve as catalysts for that process.