Visionary or pragmatist? Finding the right balance.

This month, work has taken me to Singapore and, in a quieter moment where I had a chance to explore, I visited the National Museum, where an exhibition to mark 60 years of Singapore’s independence – ‘Once Upon a Tide’ – was open. 

The exhibition journeys through Singapore’s 700 years, particularly focusing on how the sea and river have shaped Singapore’s evolution and made it such an important hub for global shipping routes. 

The Singapore we know today has been molded by so many factors and so many people, with plenty of stories to be told. However, there were two names that stood out to me once the exhibition reached the era of British control in the 1800s – Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles and Major-General William Farquhar. 

The two had plenty of history of their own and according to much of their correspondence, things could get frosty at times. 

Raffles was the ‘visionary’ – he could see a future for Singapore where it could compete with  major trading hubs, making it a ‘modern city’, and cementing it as one of the most important cities in the world. 

Farquhar was knee-deep in the details, for better or worse. He conducted surveys, compiled maps and town plans, recorded temperatures and pressure readings, and plenty more. 

So, how can leaders learn from these two powerhouses? 

While they were not the only influences and different histories emphasise, celebrate, downplay and criticise their respective contributions, Raffles and Farquhar were leaders in the development of modern-day Singapore. 

But their leadership only had any success because of – and in spite of – each other. 

Raffles only took periodic interest in the settlement and Farquhar’s work there. He was impressed with Singapore’s progress, but didn’t acknowledge how that progress was made. 

What he called a “magic result” wasn’t magic. It was hard work from many people, including Farquhar. 

Vision alone is just talk 

Having a vision for where you want your team to go is important but that vision needs to be handled with care. 

If your vision is so big, so audacious, that none of your team can see how you’re going to get there … you’re never going to get them on board and motivation will dwindle. 

• Set your vision
• Map out milestones
• Align your resources  
• Communicate it all to your team

It’s okay if the vision shifts over time – it often does – but your team need to know how they’re going to move towards it and they need to celebrate the wins along the way. 

We can learn from Raffles’ mistake here, checking in periodically, uninterested in the real work it took to achieve his vision, and taking all the credit. It’s no wonder there was bad blood. 

Don’t get bogged down in the details 

The details, the daily hard work … it’s all important to get you and your team towards that big vision, but it’s also easy to lose sight of the goal in that nitty gritty. 

Beware of getting so involved in a short-term tactic that you don’t actually get any closer to the big difference. 

Leadership is all about balance 

It’s likely you’ll recognise yourself in these stories; most of us are either big picture people or detail people but it’s not impossible to cultivate the trait we lack. 

Regardless of whether you can develop these different skills in yourself, it’s always important to be considering your team and understanding how they think, and how you can complement each other. 

It’s good advice for leadership and life more generally: surround yourself with people who have skills that you don’t already have. We’re stronger teams, stronger people, when we support each other in this way. 

Want to find the right balance for your team? People Make the Difference can help. To find out more, visit www.pmtd.com.au or call us on 0412 333 415.