WHO WANTS TO BE A VISIONARY LEADER?

In NLP and in Neuro-Semantics, we need more leaders and better leaders. When you are a trainer, you are a leader—after all, you are leading people to learn about Neuro-Semantics, Meta-States, Meta-Coaching, Self-Actualization, or any of the 50 gateway trainings. When you are a Meta-Coach, you are a leader—now you are leading the minds, hearts, and behaviors of individuals to achieve their goals, solve their problems, and unleash their potentials.

There are many kinds of leaders, there are trainer leaders, coaching leaders, administrative leaders, project leaders, thought leaders, technical leaders, managerial leaders, and on and on. Then there are visionary leaders. These are the leaders who stand out from everyone else, even the other leaders, and who invite people to come follow him or her as they pioneer a new direction. Now we have lots of leaders in Neuro-Semantics, but I don’t think we have a sufficient number of visionary leaders. As I’ve traveled to many countries all around the planet, a hypothesis that I’ve come to is this: The Institutes survive or thrive, or fail according to the visionary leaders that are present. And if that’s the case, the question now arises, How do we develop more visionary leaders?

Thinking about this, here are the six most important meta-programs that characterizes a visionary leader. As you read these, reflect on the degree that your meta-programs enables or disables you to be a visionary leader. Then, if you want to become a visionary leader, consider what you need to do to expand your meta-programs and what behavioral skills each implies.

1) An active meta-program (#27). When you think about something, do you feel an urge to take action as soon as possible? Or is your urge to reflect, think about it, chew it over? Visionary leaders tend to have a very active meta-program. If they have a flaw, it is that they tend to jump into things and are ready to act even before they have a well-developed plan. Embrace this energy and temper it with your calibration skills and an appropriateness frame.

2) A strong authority meta-program (#23). When you think about the right or authority to take action, do you automatically assume that you can do it or do you consider the context and who has the authority and they will grant you the right to do it or if it is okay for you to do it? Visionary leaders operate from within and hardly ever ask if it’s okay. They assume it is until they learn that they are not to do something. Embrace this energy and temper it with “an external check,” as well as a choice, not an automatic compulsion.

3) A strong ego (high ego-strength (#54). When you think about facing challenges in the world, whether dealing with other people, finances, planning things, solving problems, etc., do you have a ‘sense of self’ that’s strong, robust, and ready to go? Or do you question whether you will be

able to handle things? Visionary leaders function from robust and stable ego with a high sense of efficacy. Embrace this energy and release any need to ‘care about’ (worry) about your reputation or what people will think of you.

4) A high others-attention meta-program (#24). When you think about the group or are in a group situation, do you automatically focus on attending to the needs and wants of the people in the group? Of do you think about getting your own needs met? Visionary leaders have a strong attention on others—to serve others, to help others, to teach, coach, support, etc. Embrace this energy and sacrilize it—so you do not ‘have’ to do this or ‘need’ to do this, but you consider it a privilege to do it.

5) A strong risk-embracer meta-program (#46). When you are in the presence of risking something (time, money, effort, energy, reputation, etc.), do you easily and quickly embrace the risk? Are do you tend to be aversive to risk? Do you have a strong need for safety and security? Visionary leaders are risk-embracers. They automatically focus on the opportunities rather than the risks. Embrace this energy and be sure to set up some continency plans in the back of your mind if things go south.

6) A strong toward motivation meta-program (#35). What activates your motivation strategy, what you want and desire? What you hope for and envision? Or what you want to avoid and make sure doesn’t happen? Visionary leaders have a strong toward motivation. Embrace this energy and welcome an awareness of what you are moving away from so it is ecological and wise.

While that’s the formula for a visionary leader, there are other meta-programs that can enhance and enrich it. They will be optimizers, not perfectionists (#40), collaborative, not competitive (#43, #45), they will be bold, not cautious in decision making (#47), and responsible, not over- or under-responsible (#53).

Your Program for Developing as a Visionary Leader I hope that many reading this will want to set this as a new personal and experiential goal—to become a visionary leader. This is just as important among us in this community as it is when you are developing visionary leaders in organizations.

1) Intention aim to expand your meta-programs so that you can operate from the above six meta- programs.

2) Identify the beliefs and values that correspond to the meta-programs and intentionally change your beliefs and re-prioritize your values.

3) Give yourself permission to shift your personal identity to that of a visionary leader. Flush out and reframe any and every objection.

4) Take your visionary leader goal and ask all of the well-formed outcome questions about it.

5) Take your visionary leader goal and do a kinesthetic walk through your Meta Place.

6) Address any and every objection so that you can make it fit with your beliefs and values.