Where there is no vision the people perish (Proverbs 29: 18)

Vision!

Vision?

What springs to mind?  

70-year-old Frank went for his annual physical. He told the doctor that he felt fine, but often had to go to the bathroom during the night. Then he said, "But you know Doc, I'm blessed. God knows my eyesight is going, so he puts on the light when I pee, and turns it off when I'm done!"

A little later in the day, Dr. Smith called Frank's wife and said, "Your husband's test results were fine, but he said something strange that has been bugging me. He claims that God turns the light on and off for him when uses the bathroom at night."

Estelle exclaimed, "That old fool! He's been peeing in the refrigerator again!"

This post is dedicated to Frank and Estelle, the director of the U.S. patent office who resigned In 1875, saying that there was nothing left to invent, and to Dick Rowe who famously lacked the vision to recognize the talent inside John Paul George and Ringo, declaring that “guitar groups are on their way out, Mr. Epstein".

Vision, as everyone knows, is the core of leadership.

Vision is seeing what life could be like while dealing with life as it is.

Poor Dick Rowe could not listen to the rough chaotic versions of Besame Mucho, The Sheik of Araby, or Three Cool Cats and hear the fabs’  humour, notice their spark, glimpse the potential, or see what Brian Epstein had seen. He failed to see the possibilities. George Martin could though.

George had vision. He could see the potential purpose hidden in the chaos of the moment. His vision would see the birth of new possibilities, not only for The Beatles themselves but for music, for Britain and for the whole world.

Brian Epstein had hawked the audition tapes and been turned down everywhere. All had agreed with Dick Rowe’s assessment.

Imagine if he hadn’t come across the young George Martin who was in charge of a label that made comedy records! Imagine if George had had no vision!

The Beatles would have slunk back to Liverpool. Maybe they’d have stayed together. Maybe they would have gained success through other means. Maybe they would have gone into other artistic fields. Luckily that alternative bizarro world doesn’t exist. And that is down to George Martin’s vision.

Vision deals with those deeper human intangibles that alone give ultimate purpose to life.

[Next post - more on vision as I reveal my top visionaries!]