There are two types of pragmatism. The first one is a narrow and intense focus on the short-term gains in the bottom-line through technology, methods, and techniques. The other is to lay a wide and patient foundation for long-term effectiveness through vision, values, ideals and above all people. The first is the way of the technocrat and the other is the path of the visionary. Both are needed for success in the corporate world. But for sustainable growth the main emphasis has to be on the second approach which leads to long-term effectiveness.
The vision, ideals and values are verities of the upper layers of the human mind. They are the sources of higher motivation and provide a sense of meaning and purpose to life and work. They are not abstractions but mental energies with an inherent self-effective force. The leaders of the future must understand the nature of these mental forces and how to tap them for enhancing the effectiveness of some of the managerial functions like visioning, motivation and communication. For a deeper understanding of these mental energies, please see the following articles in this blog:
1. The Power of Mental formationsHarnessing the Human Potential
2. The Role of Creative Vision in Human DevelopmentHarnessing the Human Potential
