You have to know how to provoke people

Imagery is a powerful leadership tool that is rarely used well.  Imagery is effective when people use their imagination but the image can be a real and reachable destination!  The best tool we have to evaluate if we are using imagery correctly is this: could the image become reality?  If you focus people on that place and start practicing habits as if  that place already existed, good things are going to follow. There are significant spots in history of leaders who understood the value of imagery:

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or maybe


Okay, so there's a chance the second speech didn't happen, but none the less, you're grateful I posted that one!  Yet, terrific use of imagery!

As leaders we have to recognize that either we speak a destination into peoples' lives or we are leaving them motionless.

Do you have to come up with an exact destination for peoples' lives?  Nope.  You just have to know how to ask great questions.

"If you were a leader who could draw the very best out of people, what would be happening in the lives of the people on your team?"

"If every one of us put our very best gifts into this, how would that change our market?"

"If every one of us has expressed our gratefulness, how would our customers respond?"

Leadership is not about helping people recognize what they lack, it's helping them discover what they've always had.  As leaders we can draw that out by allowing them to come up with their own image if we practice asking the right questions.  Become a better provoker of images and your people will be grateful for it.