must represent an end state. The leader's vision must encompass an understanding of exactly what he or she expects the organization to be at the end of the cycle in which it finds itself, or in which it is preparing to enter (Barker, 1992, pp. vii-256). If an organization is embarking on a new strategy, the leader must be able to visualize the situation which is desired upon completion of the strategy. Everything else in the organization is built around the leader's vision.
The leader's vision will, of course, provide her or him with the knowledge required to develop the intermediate goals and objectives necessary to reach the ultimate objective (Bass, 1990, pp. 19-31). Of perhaps greater importance, however, is the fact that the leader's vision will permit her or him to recognize the ultimate objective, when it is obtained.
A leader will, at times, be able to control, to some extent, the variables with which he or she is confronted. In the contemporary environment, however, the leader will almost continually be required to function in an environment characterized by high levels of uncertainty (Rodrigues, 1993, pp. 4-11). The leader must be prepared to deal with a fluid and an uncertain environment. Within this realm of uncertainty, however, the leader must be a beacon of consistency for her or his organizational subordinates.
The initial requirement for consistency is to always be oneself; never pretend to be something you are not. Leadership consistency also requires (1) an avoidance of ambiguous actions, (2) the admitting and correction of one's own mistakes, (3) firmness and conviction with respect to one's own decisions, (4) ethical behavior, (5) an acceptance of responsibility, and (6) a willingness to place trust in organizational subordinates. Consistency in leadership, however, does not imply rigidity. One's approach to leadership varies, of course, with one's own personality and areas of competence (Kotter,...