In 2004, I had the opportunity to work in London with an EMEA group within a multinational corporation. Their stated vision for the company was: “We will double by 2007.” (They were quite charmed with making the catchphrase for their Vision be …007!) As it turned out, they did indeed double the size of their business—by 2006.

Can a vision be simply a number? Can a true vision ever be fully achieved?

Let me introduce you to three leaders: an Artist, a Musician, and a Mystic. They’ll help us reframe what a vision might really be.

Leonardo da Vinci

My Artist leader is Leonardo da Vinci—who Sir Kenneth Clark called “the most curious man in history.”

Leonardo, a Renaissance artist who lived from 1452 to 1519, was driven by relentless curiosity. He pursued mastery in anatomy, mathematics, science, Greek philosophy, engineering, and everything in the natural world. He used drawing to visualize what he was learning, and those discoveries transformed how he painted, sculpted, and imagined.

Born out of wedlock, left-handed, gay, gregarious, and good looking, Leonardo was fascinated with how the human eye sees. The power of the image consumed him. His vision for art went beyond the two-dimensional norms of his day. He aimed to bring life into his work using shadow and light, movement and depth, curve and flow—even hinting at the inner world of his subjects.

Leonardo discovered that nature has no straight lines. He mastered “sfumato,” a painstaking technique that softened edges to create a smoky, lifelike effect. Committed to his vision of realism, he often left commissions unfinished, prioritizing excellence over deadlines.

Among his few but iconic works: Vitruvian Man (1490–1492), The Last Supper (1495–1498), and Mona Lisa (1503–1519). His anatomical sketches—like his drawing of the aortic valve—were confirmed accurate 450 years later.  

Franz Schubert

My Musician leader is Franz Schubert, the brilliant Austrian composer (1797–1828). He was prolific, writing over 600 songs and eight symphonies, yet never lived to hear one performed.

In 1822, he began what would be called Symphony No. 8, finishing only two movements. When he died in 1828—six years later—the manuscript remained incomplete. It wasn’t discovered until 1860. A month after it was first performed, it was already considered a masterpiece. We now know it as The Unfinished Symphony. 

Martin Luther King Jr.

My Mystic leader is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968), who said:

"It is not how long you live but how well you live your life that matters.”

He echoed jazz legend Mary Lou Williams, who said:

“It’s not what you play. It’s how you play it.”

Dr. King often referenced Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony:

“Life is like that—an unfinished symphony.”

On MLK Day 2025, I heard Reverend Senator Raphael Warnock, Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church (MLK’s church), say:

“If you are engaged in work that can be finished in your lifetime, it is not big enough. Your life’s project should be longer and larger than your lifespan.”

That idea resonates with me. The image of an unfinished symphony feels like a fitting metaphor for a vision—whether for a life, a marriage, a team, or an organization.

The consciously competent leader is expected to offer an inspiring vision. Yes, a vision might include a number or target—but it also must act like a magnet that pulls everyone forward. It should be seen and heard. It must be bigger than the person who cast it.

And like a great symphony, it should remain just a little unfinished.

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