Visionary Leadership and the Pursuit of Organizational Visions

Prominent organizational achievements are often attributed to leaders who articulate a compelling future vision, as seen with figures like Bill Gates and John F. Kennedy. Visionary leadership, defined as the verbal communication of a future collective image to inspire contributions to its realization, stands out for its direct focus on this aspect of leadership effectiveness. Robust evidence highlights the significant role of leaders’ vision communication in shaping individual employee states, behavior, and organizational performance. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding attributes associated with vision that can shape the subjective legitimacy of the persuasive appeal in vision communication, thereby moderating the effectiveness of visionary leadership. To address this aspect, this dissertation delves into an exploration of factors influencing the subjective legitimacy of visionary leadership’s persuasive appeal across three empirical chapters.

In Chapter 2, I demonstrate how the effectiveness of visionary leadership is negatively influenced when exhibited by leaders holding lower positions within the organizational hierarchy. In Chapter 3, I show that misalignment between external and internal communications of the vision can result in negative consequences for individual and organizational outcomes. In Chapter 4, I demonstrate that communication of vivid visions combined with organizational resources dedicated to vision pursuit can significantly enhance the pursuit of the vision. By examining these factors, this dissertation aims to provide insights into the factors influencing the effectiveness of visionary leadership, contributing to a better understanding of its impact on individual, team, and organizational outcomes.