The cynic says, “Seeing is believing.” The visionary knows, “Believing is seeing.”
Ordinary people trust what they can measure. Extraordinary people see what they believe is possible. As King Solomon wrote, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
Visionary leadership is more than a corporate platitude. It is essential to the survival and relevance of any enterprise.
Few have embodied this better than Walt Disney.
😩 Linkletter’s Lament
In the early 1950s, Walt Disney showed his friend Art Linkletter a 160-acre orange grove and described his dream of a “Magic Kingdom.” A fairytale castle, themed lands, and movie characters strolling down Main Street.
Then came the offer: run the park’s film and camera concession for five years.
But at the time, amusement parks were seen as seedy, seasonal businesses. Linkletter, a practical man, thought it was a terrible gamble. He declined, telling Walt, “You’re going to lose your shirt on this deal.”
Disneyland was an instant success. The photo concession became one of its most profitable businesses. Linkletter later quipped he figured that walk back to his car “cost me about a million bucks a step back to my car.”
📴 The Fall of the BlackBerry Kingdom
Before the iPhone, BlackBerry was king. Professionals swore by its keyboard, secure messaging, and push email.
But in 2007, Steve Jobs unveiled a device that reimagined what a phone could be: an all-screen, touch-driven computer for your pocket. A full internet browser. And soon, the App Store, unlocking endless possibilities.
BlackBerry’s leaders scoffed. They thought the iPhone was a toy and nothing more. By the time they tried to catch up, the world had changed, and they were left behind. Jobs’ vision wasn’t about protecting market share—it was about giving people what they didn’t yet know they wanted.
🚐 The Webvan Crash
Louis Borders, the man who founded Borders’ bookstores, also dreamed big. In the late 90s, he launched Webvan, an online grocery service years ahead of its time. High-tech warehouses, 30-minute delivery windows, and nationwide expansion were fueled by nearly $800 million from investors.
But the company grew too fast, spent too much, and misjudged how reluctant people were to buy produce online. For every $100 in groceries sold, Webvan burned $143.
By 2001, Webvan was bankrupt.
Borders’ vision wasn’t wrong—it was just premature. Today, Walmart and Amazon Fresh do what Borders envisioned. We might say, Borders’ failed it forward.
📝 The Difference-Maker’s Playbook
What truly sets the difference-makers apart?
- Conviction: Like Disney, they make people believe in an empty orange grove.
- Clarity: Like Jobs, they see a fundamental shift and build the tool to define it.
- Pragmatism: Unlike Webvan, they know that vision without a viable path and proper timing is just an expensive and fruitless dream.
True visionaries see a future as if it were present. They also understand the present, respect the risks, and build a sturdy bridge from what is to what could be.
What Will You Be?
The average person is content to see what is. The difference-maker insists on showing the world what can be.
Vision always carries risk. Disney and Jobs hit home runs; Borders struck out. Linkletter played it safe—and lost anyway. The truth is, playing it safe is often the riskiest move of all, as the world moves on without you.
My Orange Grove Moment
In 2005, I was a middle school teacher, licking the wounds from a life I had lived on a grand stage and lost. Times were tough when Hurricane Katrina presented a life-changing opportunity: become a catastrophe adjuster. The potential rewards were immense, but the risk felt like everything.
My wife asked, “Are we really going to risk it all on something we know nothing about?”
I answered, “Look around! It isn’t that far from where we are to the bottom.”
She said, “Do it. I’m in.”
The risk was great, but the timing was right—and the rest is history.
So, you must count the cost. Know your own risk tolerance. Ask yourself:
- If this fails, what is truly lost?
- If this succeeds, what is ultimately gained?
The question is not “To be or not to be?” You are going to be. The real question is: What will you be?
A critic? A safe-bettor? Or a risk-taker shaping tomorrow by what you do today?
Adjusters know the risk/reward equation all too well. They live it every day.
Share your take in the comments—and may your risks render reward.