Kotter: Great Leaders Have Emotional Impact

Great leaders tell stories that create pictures in our minds and have emotional impact.  Martin Luther King Jr., had a dream, not a strategy or a goal, and he showed us his dream, his picture of the future.  People change when they see something visual (the vision) that touches their feelings, challenges their thinking, and incites actions.  People may realize the need for change, but not do anything differently because they lack the passion to break out of the routines or habit patterns.  The momentum of ‘how we’ve done things’ tends to make our future look like our past.

The ability to move people emotionally is a special gift.  Few of us are born with it, but we can learn it.  John P. Kotter