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Latest "Vision" Posts

Accountability to Possibility: The Next Frontier in Leadership Growth


Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, 
we lose the excitement of possibilities.   Gloria Steinem

When I was a little girl, my mother encouraged me to dream. She would often tell me … “Dream big dreams. It does not cost anything to dream.”

So as a child, I would imagine myself becoming …

       possibility thinking

possibility thinking

… A gold Olympic ice skater on one day.

… The first woman astronaut on another day.

… Then it was a toss up between a princess, a cowgirl or a Mickey Mouse musketeer on the other days.

Nobody ever told me that anything was impossible. I am grateful for those early days that shaped me to thrive possibilities.

Posted by Denise Corcoran on August 18, 2015 in Accountability, Goal Achievement, Leadership Development, Leadership Performance, Mindset, Vision.

12 Strategic Thinking Questions That Yield Big Results.

The Bonus Question Is The Punch Line.

At the end of every year, I take a personal private retreat to clear my mind, take inventory of the past year and create a new vision for the new year.  Knowing the power of questions, at the start of each retreat, I ask myself …

power of questionsWhat are the 10 most important questions to ask myself in this retreat to take my business (and life) to a more meaningful, impactful and prospering level in the new year?

For 3-4 days, I spend time by the ocean simply reflecting, letting go of any goals, plans or expectations. 

Posted by Denise Corcoran on March 4, 2014 in Change Management, Fast Growth, Goal Achievement, Leadership Performance, Mindset, Organizational Performance, Strategic Thinking, Vision.

Leading the Way to Greatness and Growth

Secrets of a Seasoned CEO


In July of this past year, I had the honor of meeting Mike Gustafsen, CEO, Virident Systems Technology with seasoned experience in growth driven companies/divsions at the C-level.
  His story as part of a panel discussion at a veteran CEOnetworking event – The Path to the C-Level – left such a strong impression that I asked him for an interview to share his secrets.

In my view, Mike embodies the essence of a great leader – a visionary, strategist, big thinker, leader of leaders, great team and culture builder, global thinker yet down to earth, authentic and the list goes on. 

Posted by Denise Corcoran on January 2, 2014 in Alignment, Company Culture, Employee Engagement, Fast Growth, Leadership Development, Leadership Performance, Mindset, Motivation, Teams, Vision.

Creating a Vision That Pulls Your Company Forward

Re-Imagining New Leadership Possibilities in 2014

possibilitiesIt’s that time of the year!  Most business leaders are preparing for an executive off-site to define their company’s future direction for the new year.

Yet, in my 30 years experience of working with leadership teams and companies, the terms “vision,” “mission” and “values” are THE most overused, misunderstood and abused words in the business community today.

Vision statements, mission statements and strategic plans in many companies reduce to mere academic exercises with no real value in driving an organization forward.  Why?  Let’s take a look.

Why Most Company Visions Get an “F”:  The Big 3

  1. Your company’s vision lacks the necessary specificity and inspiration to pull your company forward.

Posted by Denise Corcoran on December 3, 2013 in Alignment, Employee Engagement, Goal Achievement, Leadership Development, Leadership Performance, Mindset, Motivation, Organizational Performance, Organizational Transformation, Vision.

Catalyzing Company Performance With Purpose

This past week I have been preparing for a business trip in which I will be working with their leadership team on 4 core areas to drive their compelling future:  purpose, vision, identity and culture.

Purpose — different than a company’s mission — is the single most important factor driving intrinsic motivation in companies.  When your employees understand and align with THE reason why your business exists … your rallying cause … your contribution to the world that — above all else including salary, bonuses and perks — will catalyze top performance.

One of the best exercises I have seen for uncovering purpose, comes from Daniel Pink’s book, “Drive:  The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,”  called “What’s Your One Sentence?”  Watch this 2 minute video from Daniel Pink himself, offering sample “one sentence” purpose statements from grammar school kids to adults.  

Posted by Denise Corcoran on September 4, 2013 in Alignment, Company Culture, Daniel Pink, Employee Engagement, Mindset, Motivation, Organizational Performance, Organizational Transformation, Vision.