More Praise for Full Steam Ahead! “Inspiring a shared vision is the signature leadership competency. It’s also the most diffi cult practice to learn and apply. In this wonderful gem of a book, Ken Blanchard and Jesse Stoner show you how to fi nd a meaningful purpose, picture a compelling future, and clarify your values. This engaging story is full of practical advice that you’ll be able to apply immediately. It’s essential reading for any leader who needs to answer the question, ‘Where are we going?’ Come to think of it, that would be all of us!” —Jim Kouzes, coauthor of the bestselling The Leadership Challenge and The Truth About Leadership and Dean’s Executive Professor of Leadership, Leavey School of Business. “So many of the lessons I share with my teams revolve around attain- ing goals by having a clear vision of where we are headed as a group and also individually. Full Steam Ahead! emphasizes the ways in which those visions can not only help you reach greatness but also maintain it for you and your team. In the past I’ve shared this book with friends and coaching peers alike and continue to do so in order to share the wisdom and effective guidance that Ken and Jesse pro- vide on each and every page.” —John Calipari, Head Coach, University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball, two-time Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year, and author of the national bestseller Bounce Back “I LUV this heartwarming lesson from Blanchard and Stoner and urge anyone who wants to develop a clear vision to study the messages clearly and articulately delivered on each page of Full Steam Ahead!” —Colleen Barrett, President Emeritus, Southwest Airlines Company, and coauthor of Lead with LUV “In order to do your personal best, you must have a vision. To me a clear vision answers the question, ‘What mountain do we want to climb?’ Full Steam Ahead! is a wonderful guidebook that will not only help you fi nd your mountain but give you all the road maps and tools you’ll need to make it to the top. Highly recommended!” —Garry Ridge, CEO, WD-40 Company, and coauthor of Helping People Win at Work “A clear vision gives an organization heart. Without it, work will have no meaning. Full Steam Ahead! is a must-read.” —James H. Amos, Jr., Chairman Emeritus, Mail Boxes Etc. “Before beginning any kind of planning, everyone on the team should read this book. It will ensure you’re headed in the right direction. Full Steam Ahead! should be required reading.” —Barbara Bennett, former Executive Vice President, The Stanley Works “Leadership is about going somewhere. Without a clear vision your leadership doesn’t matter. Full Steam Ahead! will help your leader- ship efforts get started in the right direction.” —James E. Despain, former Vice President, Caterpillar, and coauthor of And Dignity for All “Great things come from a powerful vision—fortunes are made, dis- eases get cured, and democracies are born. Blanchard and Stoner teach readers not only how to develop a potent vision in Full Steam Ahead! but also how to bring it alive in the hearts and minds of the people who will make it happen.” —Robert W. Jacobs, author of Real Time Strategic Change “Blanchard and Stoner demonstrate how clear vision helps you focus on the results you desire. Time is a precious commodity. Full Steam Ahead! shows you how to get the most out of your efforts.” —Loyal Nordstrom, President, Honolulu Holdings, Inc. Full Steam Ahead! This page intentionally left blank SECOND EDITION Unleash the Power of Vision in Your Work and Your Life Ken Blanchard Jesse Lyn Stoner Full Steam Ahead! Copyright © 2011 by Polvera Publishing and Jesse Lyn Stoner All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distrib- uted, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior writ- ten permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. 235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650 San Francisco, California 94104-2916 Tel: (415) 288-0260, Fax: (415) 362-2512 www.bkconnection.com Ordering information for print editions Quantity sales.Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by cor- porations, associations, and others. For details, contact the “Special Sales Department” at the Berrett-Koehler address above. Individual sales.Berrett-Koehler publications are available through most bookstores. They can also be ordered directly from Berrett-Koehler: Tel: (800) 929-2929; Fax: (802) 864-7626; www.bkconnection.com Orders for college textbook/course adoption use.Please contact Berrett- Koehler: Tel:(800) 929-2929; Fax: (802) 864-7626. Orders by U.S. trade bookstores and wholesalers.Please contact Ingram Publisher Services, Tel: (800) 509-4887; Fax: (800) 838-1149; E-mail: customer. service@ingramp ublishers ervices. com; or visit w ww .ingram publishers ervices. com/O rdering for details about electronic ordering. Berrett-Koehler and the BK logo are registered trademarks of Berrett-Koehler Publishers,Inc. SecondEdition Hardcover print edition ISBN 978-1-60509-875-3 PDF e-book ISBN 978-1-60509-876-0 IDPF e-book ISBN 978-1-60509-877-7 2011-1 Production management by Michael Bass Associates. Jacket design by Richard Adelson. To my children Michael and Noah, who have added a richness I never could have imagined to my own personal vision. —JESSE LYN STONER To Scott and Debbie and the wonderful grandchildren they’ve given us: Alec, Kyle, Kurtis, Atticus, and Hannah. They help me move full steam ahead! —KEN BLANCHARD This page intentionally left blank Contents Foreword by Patrick Lencioni ix Preface xi A Proper Ending 1 A Real Beginning 5 What Is Vision, Anyway? 19 Element 1: Significant Purpose 27 Element 2: Picture of the Future 51 Element 3: Clear Values 59 Vision Defined 77 Blurry Vision 85 You Can’t Get There Unless You’re Here 97 20/20 Vision: Company, Team, and Personal Visions 103 Creative Tension 117 From Vision to Reality: The Three Hows 121 vii