Three Key Components of Compelling Vision

An article "The Vision Thing: Without It You’ll Never Be a World-Class Organization" by Ken Blanchard and Jesse Stoner discuss the three critical factors exhibited by all world-class organisations:

Clear vision and direction championed by top management
Trained and equipped people focused on implementation of the agreed-upon vision and direction
Established recognition and positive consequence systems that sustain the behaviors and performance that the vision and direction require

In their article they focus on the importance of a clear vision for leaders and their organisations, making the following observations:
Vision and direction are essential for greatness. In world-class organizations, every-one has a clear sense of where the enterprise is going.
Vision helps people make smart choices be-cause their decisions are being made with the end result in mind. As goals are accomplished, the answer to “What next?” be-comes clear. Vision takes into account a larger picture than the immediate goal.
Vision is important for leaders because leadership is about going somewhere. If you and your people don’t know where you are going, your leadership doesn’t matter.
Without a clear vision, an organization be-comes a self-serving bureaucracy. The top managers begin to think “the sheep are there for the benefit of the shepherd.” All the money, recognition, power, and status move up the hierarchy, away from the people closest to the customers, and leadership begins to serve the leaders and not the organization’s larger purpose and goals.
When people share and believe in a vision of what the organization can be, they generate tremendous energy, excitement, and passion. They feel they are making a difference. They build a strong reputation for excellent products and services. They know what they are doing and why. There is a strong sense of trust and respect. Managers don’t try to control. They let others assume responsibility because they know everyone shares the vision and is clear about their goals and direction. Everyone assumes responsibility for their own actions. They take charge of their future rather than passively waiting for it to happen. There is room for creativity and risk taking.