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Why You Need to Have a Meaningful Vision to Succeed

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Do you feel lazy when you wake up every morning? Do you feel stressed and lack motivation to work? If this is happening to you, you lack a meaningful vision in your career, business, and life.

Let me ask you a question, do you prefer to work in a small company that has no big vision or do you prefer to work in a company with a big and meaningful vision that aims to change the world and society at large? A company like SpaceX?

People are naturally pulled towards others who have big dreams and visions. Think about Elon Musk and the companies he started, SpaceX and Tesla. There are plenty of automobile companies in the world, but most people prefer to work for Tesla, why?

And how about SpaceX? The company that was created to build rockets and set to colonize Mars. How does that make you feel? Exciting? So, do you now know why extraordinary people are passionate about what they do? Why are they able to wake up every day feeling excited and passionate about their dreams?

They have a meaningful vision to pursue. Successful people don’t look at their jobs as laying bricks, instead, in their heads, they see themselves building beautiful castles that change the world.

What about you? Regardless of whether you are working for someone or you are running a business, are you serving the world and making it a better place? Is your work helping and inspiring people?

When you look at what you do as pursuing a meaningful vision, you will never run out of motivation. Every day, you will wake up feeling inspired, thinking about helping people, and changing lives. But how do you create a meaningful vision for what you do? Here are a couple of tips:

1. Make your dreams and visions to serve others

In 2007, Adam Grant researched a group of paid employees at a public university’s call center who were asked to phone potential donors to the school. It is not an easy job because the employees don’t get paid much and suffer from many rejections from people that are unhappy about getting the cold call. The turnover rate is high and the morale of the employees is low.

Imagine if you are the boss or the leader of the team, how do you motivate your group to stay on the phone and continue to bring in the funds for scholarships?

In his best-selling book, Give and Take, Adam Grant and a group of researchers conducted a study on the call center and arranged a group of callers to meet with a scholarship beneficiary. And one month later, that group raised 171% more money and spent 142% more time on the phone.

So, what happened? Well, the group of callers had a chance to interact with the scholarship beneficiary, they got to know how the funds they raised helped someone who is truly in need. As a result, the group of employees got motivated and worked harder.

When your work or your business is helping people to live a better life, you will be inspired and motivated to work harder. Think about the time when you helped someone. How did that make you feel? Did you feel inspired and did it make you feel good?

Incorporate feelings into what you do. Make your work and your business about helping others and changing lives, and you will never run out of motivation again.

“If you don’t have a vision you’re going to be stuck in what you know. And the only thing you know is what you’ve already seen.” – Iyanla Vanzant

2. Make your dreams and visions impact the world

When Steve Jobs wanted to recruit John Sculley, the Pepsi executive at that time, Jobs asked Scully, “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”

And that inspired Sculley to quit his job at Pepsi and went to work for Jobs in Apple. Sculley got inspired by the dream of changing the world rather than selling sugary water.

If you look at Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, you will notice that self-actualization and self-transcendence are at the top. As human beings, we want our work to be able to impact others, to change lives, and to make the world a better place.

When your work is in alignment with the legacy you want to create in the world, your mission drives you. Consider this, SpaceX is just a vertical trucking company. It aims to move things vertically instead of horizontally as other vehicle companies did. But that’s not how Elon Musk looks at it.

Musk is obsessed with colonizing the Red Planet. His vision and mission with SpaceX are crystal clear. Musk said that there’s a one-in-forty-thousand chance that an asteroid will hit the Earth and we could be the next dinosaurs. And so, he created SpaceX so that we could back up humans on Mars, like a hard disk backup.

More importantly, Musk often thinks and talks about his company 10 years into the future. And he speaks as if the future is happening right now. That’s how Musk created a meaningful vision so powerful that you can’t help but be inspired by it.

And that’s how you can impact the world and change lives. When your work is big and meaningful enough, you can’t help but be inspired by it. As Steve Jobs said, “If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.

3. Giving back to the community and society

You may think that what you do may not impact the world. After all, you’re not Elon Musk or Steve Jobs. But don’t underestimate your ability on how you can make the world a better place.

In 2009, a dry cleaner named Carlos Vasquez had a burning desire to help the locals who had lost their jobs. So, he put up a sign on his business window that said, “If you are unemployed and you need an outfit cleaned for an interview, we will do it for free.”

Carlos did that because he wanted to give back to the community where the people there have been giving him business. But his action accidentally started a movement when the press covered his story.

Other dry cleaners across the country started cleaning clothes for free for unemployed people preparing for interviews. And one cleaner named Don Chapman was inspired by Carlos’s actions. Don cleaned over 2,000 suits for free to help society just because of one man’s action.

So, how can you be an inspiration to others? How can you help and give back to your community and society, or the world at large? If you are an influencer, you can make a stand and choose to promote healthy products rather than junk foods. Larger brands are known for always giving back.

Patagonia is an outdoor clothing company that inspires others to save the environment. Nike always promotes equality. Starbucks and McDonald’s are known for their act of supporting the refugees worldwide.

“Vision is a destination – a fixed point to which we focus all effort. Strategy is a route – an adaptable path to get us where we want to go.” – Simon Sinek

What about you? What about your company and business? What can you do to make a stand and make the world better?

We always heard that we need to have a strong and emotional purpose or vision to be successful. And it’s true because without having a meaningful mission, you’ll never be inspired and motivated to do what you’re supposed to do.

Use the 3 tips shared in this article to craft your own meaningful, impactful, and inspiring vision. Let your vision pull you to the success you want.

Shawn Lim is the creator of StunningMotivation.com (https://StunningMotivation.com) and he’s a passionate blogger in the personal development industry who has inspired thousands to pursue their dreams and follow their passions. You can learn more about him plus download a free copy of his guidebook, Reach Your Goals on his website.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
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Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

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