So, I was at the gym this morning and I happened to glance up at the TVs located in various places throughout the room. The first one I saw had beautiful people with beautifully toned bodies working out on exercise balls. It was promoting a lose-weight/get fit DVD program. I was impressed by the visceral reaction I had to the program, despite knowing it was an infomercial designed to get me hooked. They did a brilliant job of inspiring me to want to work hard and have abs like those people. I immediately increased the intensity on my eliptical trainer and kicked up my effort several notches. I also committed to several ab exercises before I was allowed to leave.

Why am I telling you this? As leaders, we need to paint vivid pictures for our employees of where we are headed. The description of the destination needs to be compelling enough for our constituents to get behind the changes necessary and actively invent ways of getting there. There needs to be some emotional connection to the destination in order to engage people´s discretionary effort.  I´m not suggesting that every leader has to be "charismatic" like the people who host the infomercials. What I am suggesting is that every leader needs to find a way to help their constituents see the future that is yet to be realized, and feel some sort of emotional connection to what awaits them at the destination.

Gotta run. The $19.95 price only stands for the next few minutes. I have a vision of my future with washboard abs!