I accompanied my best friends to the Visionary Conference 2019, thinking that I was giving them a massive favor. In all honesty, I had never followed the lives of visionaries like Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk. It was incredible to learn about the three laws of motion, and I couldn’t live without my iPhone and Tesla car, but that’s it.
My interest in visionaries changed, though, when the main guest speaker did not decide to name-drop every famous visionary who came to mind. Instead, he started discussing what characteristics made them one.
I never thought of that before. While I knew a bit about most visionaries’ struggles, I did not bother to figure out what they were like as a person. So, imagine my surprise when the speaker said that they all had common traits, including:
Relentlessness
Have you seen sales marketers at the mall who pick someone they make eye contact with and start pitching their products? Sometimes, they barricade your path with their body to make you stop and hear them out. Other times, if the first trick doesn’t work, they may even try to follow you around the store.
In either case, though, it seems natural to feel irritated by such relentlessness. But if you think about it, the real visionaries are more relentless than that. Their ads appear on TV, billboards, and even social media channels. They keep on doing it until you give in and see what they have to offer.
Go-Getter
Visionaries are some of the most ambitious folks you will ever meet. If you give them even a little opening, they will take advantage of it to go forward. Is there not even a crack at the gates to success? That’s not an issue—they will find a way around, on top, or through it all.
A visionary supports this go-getter personality with a well-thought-out plan about their vision. Typically, everything is ready from their end, such as the formula, algorithms, marketing strategy, etc. What they need now is a platform or funding to make their dreams come true.
Problem-Solver
There is a difference between a visionary and a book-smart individual. The latter does not enjoy solving problems. They prefer theories over applications. On the other hand, the former loves getting challenged, no matter how terrible or ridiculous it may be.
Such a trait that visionaries share is not a bad thing at all. Visionaries live to take risks. For sure, they feel scared at times, but they love proving people wrong and justifying their stance. No one seems to complain about it because we—the consumers—benefit a lot from their adventurous side.
Final Thoughts
The characteristics of a real visionary sound basic enough, right? Anyone can be a go-getter or relentless or love solving problems. However, not all of us have a specific vision that’s beneficial for everyone. And for that, I salute all the visionaries for their legendary works all over the globe!