Fredrick W. Smith had such a vision in the early 1970s. In a term paper for an economics course at Yale University he explained his vision of an air express system that would provide overnight and nationwide delivery of urgent packages. At the time, that vision seemed impractical and farfetched. In fact, Smith's economics professor gave him a "C" on the term paper. Undaunted, Smith used the ideas formulated in that "C" paper to create an A+ company, Federal Express. Today it is the world's largest air express and air freight carrier and is considered one of the best places to work in America (DuBrin 38).
Vision is therefore the first critical dimension of effective leadership. Without vision there is little hope or sense of purpose in an organization. Visions and intellectual strategies alone are insufficient to motivate and energize people at work. Sustained results come only if team members buy into a vision; they must believe that the leader's vision is their vision. Only then will they accept responsibility for achieving it. Herein lies the second key dimension of leadership: inspiring or energizing people to perform at their best individually and collectively.
Being a leader has its advantages in terms of recognition, prestige, and status. Other benefits such as higher pay and special perks are important too. Possibly the greatest reward is the feeling of self-worth that comes from being able to directly influence the course of events of an enterprise that adds value to the lives of others. With this power comes the responsibility for followers and the responsibility to achieve the goals of the organization.
The responsibility for others in terms of their welfare, confidence, and development cannot be overemphasized. Consider that most people spend more than one-half of their waking hours under the influence and direction of their leaders at work. For many people, work is their primary meaning in life.