College GameDay Taught My Morning’s Lesson on Vision

     After my morning walk through the hills and streets of my neighborhood, I usually sit down and watch ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturdays to see what the headlines are in college football, my favorite sport.  I thought I had the wrong channel this morning when I saw the highly popular sports program was on a campus in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Michigan nor Michigan State were being featured.  Confusion set in. I was shocked when the commentators said they were showcasing Western Michigan!! I have no idea who Western Michigan is in college football, and why in the world is College GameDay there instead of USC, who is playing UCLA; maybe Ohio State, who is playing Michigan State; or even LSU, who is playing Florida? To top this off, it’s snowing on the freezing GameDay team and fans because, of course, the show is always filmed outside from a scenic spot on campus! The opening voiceover assures us that Western Michigan is indeed worthy of College GameDay this morning because they are ranked number 21 in the country and are one of only two undefeated teams in the FBS, the other being Alabama. They go on to let us know that a few years ago, someone, some leaders, at the university had a vision of a highly successful football program. Internally and externally the Western Michigan family bought into that vision because here they are a few years later, number 21, undefeated and featured on College GameDay.  That was some vision.

     This week in Leadership and Media Strategies we focus on vision and leadership. We had a great list of references including the transformational power of classical music, Wendy Kopp’s vision of educational advancement, and our professor’s vision for this graduate program. Throughout our class, a major focus has been on the characteristics and qualities of leaders.  Dr. Padgett began our look at vision by telling us about his vision for this Strategic Communications graduate program. Other references this week came from entertaining and interesting sources including classical composer Benjamin Zander on TED Talk who stated, like other sources, that great leaders have a vision that they believe in so deeply that they know that the people they are leading will believe and follow. Zander’s goal is to help people appreciate classical music even though a majority of people could care less for the art. Because his passion for classical music inspires him so much, his vision is to help others realize their “untapped love for it.” In doing so, he opens people’s eyes to “new possibilities, new experiences, and new connections.” This is the type of leadership that resulted in College GameDay setting up at the Western Michigan campus this morning in the freezing snow, I’m sure. The culture at the university believed in this vision and did what was necessary to make it happen and this has resulted in new and awesome possibilities, experiences and connections and has them highlighted on the college football stage today.

     John Ryan is president of Center for Creative Leadership. His article entitled “Leadership Success Always Starts With Vision” stated that the first major step in leadership success is not giving up on your dream, and that this starts with a vision. This week’s Harvard Business Review article entitled “To Lead, Create a Shared Vision” states that leaders must ask, “What’s new? What’s next? What’s better?” Surely, great leaders, including the ones at Western Michigan began their visions this way and worked hard to bring aboard the administration, students and the community in order to be successful. Jerry Porras, from the Stanford Graduate School of Business focused on numerous studies to summarize what leadership entails, especially leaders of “enduringly great companies.” In his “Leadership and Vision” broadcast in GoogleTechTalks, he discussed how these amazing leaders make contributions to organizations that thrive long after they leave. They have a vision that is supported by having a purpose or a reason to exist. They are focused on building their organizations by building into them all of the qualities that develop the capabilities of others within the organization. No one person associated with an organization can succeed alone.  All enduringly great companies have had leaders who were passionate enough toward their purpose and set the appropriate to goals to bring aboard the cultures that ultimately ended in tremendous enduring success. History shows that this does not happen easily or overnight.  But with the proper leadership, communications, hard work and continuous belief in a vision and a purpose, lasting success is possible.

     A friend started a successful company in a rural area.  He was only in his late twenties in the 1980s.  He knew himself well enough to know that he wanted to work for himself and that he wanted to help people.  He did the research and found out that there was a need for a company on the forefront of providing medical equipment in his area.  He had a vision that would require a big investment of money and people that he trusted.  He also knew that this industry would have competition that already had a proven track record in the area.  Instead of focusing on services that the competition offered, my friend did his research, looked toward the future and included products and customized services never offered before.  Today he remains successful and he is always training, researching, and motivating his stakeholders to grow with him.  His vision continues to be a success because he continues to have a purpose and a passion for what he does and for his community.

     I will wrap up my assignment today in time to enjoy college football and family and friends.  USC plays UCLA later tonight.  Florida plays LSU, where I have a lot of family.  I will surely catch that game around noon.  In the meantime, I guess I will watch more about Western Michigan and learn more about the fruits of great leaders’ vision that helped this program to grow. Surely this vision was well supported, nurtured and orchestrated if it warrants the presence of one of  the country’s most popular sports shows this morning.  I wonder if when the leaders were setting forth with this plan if they had any idea that ESPN College GameDay would one day be set up on their lawn and that people all over the world would be looking at them, not Alabama, not Michigan nor Michigan State, this snowy November day in Kalamazoo, Michigan.