Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, once bluntly remarked:
“The common trait of people who supposedly have vision is that they spend a lot of time reading and gathering information, and then synthesise it until they come up with an idea.”
We should admire what Smith started just over fifty years ago - he passed away in June, aged 80.
At first glance, his words may seem dismissive of leaders who listen, reflect, and carefully craft their strategy in partnership with their communities.
But Smith’s scepticism raises a crucial question for educational leaders: Is vision something leaders craft independently, or something communities create collaboratively?
In our work across diverse contexts - from Finland to Colombia, Australia to the UAE - we consistently encounter leaders wrestling with exactly this tension.
One camp has a clear vision, eager for help crossing the implementation gap.
The other values deep listening and synthesis, committed to developing strategies, and a vision, born from community input.
Smith, CEO of a global company that ships stuff from A to B for paying (and largely anonymous) customers, favours the visionary leader who formulates a big idea independently.
But schools aren’t companies, and our communities are not merely 'customers'.
Schools don't simply have 'consumers'; we have participants who contribute daily, actively shaping the collective experience. Viewing parents, students, and staff as 'customers' inevitably makes the relationship transactional: “What can the school do for me?” replaces “What can we achieve together?”
Yet, vision isn't either-or. It thrives in the interplay between personal clarity and collective insight. A vision forged in isolation risks becoming a beautiful idea nobody else owns; a vision entirely crowdsourced can dilute clarity and purpose.
Real leadership lies in navigating that tension thoughtfully, maintaining clarity of purpose while authentically engaging the community.
So how might you find your sweet spot between personal clarity and community collaboration?