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394 PART 5: THE LEADER AS SOCIAL ARCHITECT
improves their communities. Consider Henry Ford’s original vision for Ford
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Motor Company:

I will build a motor car for the great multitude. . . . It will be so low in
price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own
Action Memo
one and enjoy with his family the blessings of hours of pleasure
in God’s open spaces. . . . When I’m through, everybody will be
able to afford one, and everyone will have one. The horse will
As a leader, you can frame a vision that
have disappeared from our highways, the automobile will be taken
sets a standard of excellence and integrity,
for granted [and we will give many people] employment at good
connects to core values, and helps people
fi nd meaning in their work.
wages. 21
Employees were motivated by Ford’s vision because they saw an
opportunity to make life better for themselves and others.

Vision Gives Meaning to Work People also need to fi nd dignity and mean-
ing in their work. Recall how the chef at the Community Kitchens program
described earlier had grown pessimistic about her work as a chef to the affl u-
ent. “It’s taken me by surprise to see how meaningful this job is to me,” she
says of her work at the food bank. Even people performing routine tasks can
fi nd pride in their work when they have a larger purpose for what they do. For
example, a clerk who thinks of his job as “processing insurance claims” will
feel very differently than one who thinks of her job as helping victims of fi re or
burglary put their lives back in order. As another example, one housekeeper
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at ServiceMaster Co. explained that she is enthusiastic about her work at a
community hospital because leaders help her see the job as more than just
cleaning fl oors. The housekeeper considers herself an important member of a
team that is dedicated to helping sick people get well. Without quality cleaning,
she points out, the hospital could not serve its patients well and would soon be
out of business. 23
People are drawn to companies that offer them a chance to do something
meaningful. Today, prospective employees often ask about a company’s vision
when interviewing for a job because they want to know what the organization
aims for and how, or whether, they will fi t in.

Vision Establishes a Standard of Excellence and Integrity A powerful vi-
sion frees people from the mundane by providing them with a challenge that
requires them to give their best. In addition, vision provides a measure by which
employees can gauge their contributions to the organization. Most workers wel-
come the chance to see how their work fits into the whole. Think of how frustrat-

ing it is to watch a movie when the projector is out of focus. Today’s complex,
fast-changing business environment often seems just like that—out of focus. A
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vision is the focus button. It clarifies an image of the future and lets people see
how they can contribute. A vision presents a challenge, asks people to go where
they haven’t gone before. Thus, it encourages workers to take risks and fi nd new
ways of doing things. This chapter’s Consider This box discusses three qualities a
powerful vision can inspire.
Vision clarifi es and connects to the core values and ideals of the organiza-
tion and thus sets a standard of integrity for employees. A good vision brings
out the best in people by illuminating important values, speaking to people’s