I recently came across a video that stopped me in my tracks. It featured children joyfully declaring what they wanted to be when they grew up—astronauts, dancers, scientists, and firefighters.
There was no hesitation. Just vision. Just belief. It made me pause and ask:
Why do we stop asking that question?
Somewhere along the way, we swap childhood dreams for adult realities. Job descriptions replace curiosity. KPIs replace ambition. But here’s the truth — people don’t stop needing vision just because they grow up. They need leaders to help them see it, believe in it, and pursue it.
We often assume adults have it all figured out. But the truth is—just like those kids—we’re all still evolving. And in a world of disruption, transformation, and rapid change, our people don’t just need goals. They need guidance to imagine what’s next.
That’s why we must bring vision back into the workplace. Not just through development plans, but through deeply human conversations.
In stay interviews, I ask questions like:
And through The CEO Series, where I interview leaders worldwide, one truth consistently emerges: careers are not linear. There are detours, left turns, right turns, and sometimes even U-turns. But what sustains people is having a vision they believe in—and someone who believes in them.
That’s where we come in as leaders.
Team development isn’t just about capabilities — it’s about belief. If your people can’t visualize growth within your organization, they’ll look for it elsewhere. That’s why we must move from performance management to vision mentoring.
It starts by:
When you sit with someone and say, “Let’s talk about where you want to go,” you do more than retain talent — you release it.
Over the years, I developed a habit during interviews. I would ask, “From your last job, how many people are you still connected with? What’s that relationship like?” And if they said “none,” I’d go back another role… and another.
What I was listening for was simple: Did they lead in a way that made people want to stay in touch?
I wasn’t looking for a network but for evidence of impact.
To this day, I still hear from former direct reports from two decades ago. Some want to reconnect, and others want advice as they navigate a career detour. Each note and message reminds me of the long arc of leadership.
I recently found an old thank-you note from a young woman I once hired. I’d watched her grow, succeed, and lead in her own right. The note simply said:
“Thank you for the impact.”
It brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me of why I do this work.
That video — with kids boldly declaring their dreams—reminded me that our job as leaders is to create that same energy at every level of our organizations. To build teams where people don’t just do work, they see what’s possible.
So let’s start asking the question again — not just to children, but to every professional we lead:
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
When we help someone visualize success, we don’t just change their performance — we change their trajectory.
And that, at its core, is what great leadership is all about.
