I have found the Leaders Self Insights are some of the most powerful parts of this course. Being that each chapter deals with a different part of leadership, these self-insights deal with what we say to be the most significant aspect of leadership, “Self Awareness.”
Sometimes they prove me right and sometimes they prove me wrong. In the case of insight 13.1 My Personal Vision and insight 14.1 my scores I feel, are correct for me. Being a coach I always tried the think out side of the box and go against status- quo. I can honestly say most of the times it worked well but other time it put me at risk of being fired.

To understand your personal vision you must first understand what vision actually means: “A vision is an attractive, ideal future that is credible, yet not readily attainable. A clear and powerful vision links the present and the future by showing how present-day decisions and actions can move the organization toward its long-range goals. Vision energizes employees.” (Kiaser study notes)

The goal of visionaries are to become Effective Leaders, to be an effective leader, one both dreams big and transforms those dreams into significant strategic action and effectively execute the vision and strategy. This is what we call Strategic leadership. Strategic leadership means the ability to anticipate and envision the future, maintain flexibility, think strategically, and work with others to initiate changes that will create a competitive advantage for the organization in the future.

Strategic leadership and defining a Vision is not always easy for leadership to do, communicating an image of the future that draws others in, can be a real struggle. Being forward-looking - envisioning exciting possibilities and enlisting others in a shared view of the future - is the attribute that most distinguishes leaders from non-leaders."
Leaders can develop the necessary skills for thinking strategically and navigating uncertainty by: 1. Anticipate threats and opportunities. 2. Challenge the status quo. They examine problems or opportunities from many perspectives. 3. Interpret trends. Seek new insights rather than accepting the easy answer. 4. Achieve alignment. To achieve the vision, everyone must be aligned in the same direction.
With strategic planning leader must understand the difference between a Vision and Mission. Mission is not the same thing as a company’s vision, although the two work together. The mission is the organization’s core broad purpose and reason for existence. It defines the company’s core values and reason for being, and it provides a basis for creating the vision. (Daft)
In my opinion not having a clearly defined Vision and Mission limits opportunities for the organization's success, and is a disservice to employees who show up for work every day. If an organization wants engaged and productive employees, it should make sure that they know how their work contributes to accomplishing the Mission (current state) and ultimately to the Vision (future state). If an organization cannot define it's "reason for existing (Mission) or "where it is going" (Vision), how can it align people, processes, products or services towards a successful future?
Finally regardless of how organization creates an effective Vision and Mission, it is important that they be embedded into the CULTURE through clear and consistent communications from the highest levels of an organization.
Culture can be defined as the set of key values, assumptions, understandings, and norms that is shared by members of an organization and taught to new members as correct. At its most basic, culture is a pattern of shared assumptions and beliefs about how things are done in an organization (DAFT)