August 15, 2024 | By David M. Wagner

Sixty-one years ago this month, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered a rousing speech at the Lincoln Memorial.

Rev. Dr. King plainly names what’s not working, particularly for Black people, in America: segregation, police brutality, disenfranchisement, racial injustice.

He delivers a rousing call to action to end these conditions.

He might have stopped there.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he goes on to paint a picture of a more just America.

Rev. Dr. King shares his vision for a better future by repeating the phrase for which his speech is best known:

“I have a dream.”

Vision is a Tool for Getting Unstuck

The memorability of that passage in Martin Luther King’s speech demonstrates the power of crafting a compelling vision for the future.

That includes the power to help when you find yourself really stuck with a thorny issue.

I want to be very careful not to (1) compare your circumstances to the struggle for civil rights nor to (2) suggest you need to be a leader like the Rev. Dr. King.

Rather, my message is this: you can get unstuck and lead your team forward.

Start by getting clear about the heart of your challenges. Then envision how circumstances will be better for your team.

How to Craft a Vision

It can be daunting to try to imagine a better future while you’re mired in messy situation. Here are some techniques that can help.

Last week, I suggested making a list of what’s working and a second list of what’s not working for your organization.

Now, retitle that second list “Current State.” And for each thing that isn’t working today, describe a better “Future State” in a new column.

How will things look when they are working?

What will “success” look like after things change?

If you need some inspiration for describing the future state:

• Start with something easily measurable. Perhaps your organization only has funds in the bank to cover a few months of operating expenses. In the future, you’d like to have 12 to 18 months of expenses saved.

• Look to model peers. If you admire the clear, consistent communications of another organization, describe how you would like to see the same in yours.

• Elaborate on the opposite. What’s one example of the opposite of the current state? E.g., King didn’t just call for racial justice, he depicted it: “my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin by but the content of their character.”

A compelling vision, alone, is not enough to move the needle. (If it were, we would not still be struggling to create the America of which the Rev. Dr. King dreamt.) But it’s an important step to getting unstuck. Stay tuned next week for the final step!

Instead of my usual call to action, I invite you to read the full text of King’s “I have a dream” speech.