Visionary Leadership and the Pursuit of Organizational Visions

Visionary leadership and the pursuit of organizational visions

Exceptional organizational achievements are often attributed to leaders who articulate a compelling vision of the future. Consider, for example, the successes of leaders such as Elon Musk, Bill Gates and John F. Kennedy. Communication of the vision plays an important role in this.

In this dissertation, Begüm Bilgin investigates three factors that can influence the persuasive appeal of visionary leadership. In three empirical chapters, it examines:

• The position of the visionary leader within the organizational hierarchy, which can influence the legitimacy of vision communication. This concludes, among other things, that the effectiveness of visionary leadership is negatively impacted when exhibited by leaders who are lower in the organizational hierarchy.
• The alignment between external and internal vision communication, which can (de)legitimize the organization’s visionary leadership in the eyes of followers. The dissertation notes that a mismatch between external and internal communication of the vision can have negative consequences for pursuing the vision, as this mismatch can undermine the legitimacy of vision communication. as this mismatch can undermine the legitimacy of vision communication.
• The organization’s allocation of resources to pursue the vision. On this, the dissertation concludes that allocating organizational resources to support the vision can significantly increase the effectiveness of visionary leadership. These investments potentially strengthen the legitimacy of vision communication.

Download this dissertation to better understand the factors that influence the effectiveness of visionary leadership.