The Challenges of Visionary Leaders: Insights from Justin Breen
Visionary leaders are the dreamers, the forward-thinkers who see beyond the conventional and dare to challenge the status quo. While their innovative ideas can lead to monumental changes, being a visionary leader is not without its challenges. Often, these leaders find themselves misunderstood and isolated due to their unique perspectives. This week on the WIN Podcast, Justin Breen, the founder of the visionary peer group “The Epic Fit” dives into the challenges that come with being a visionary leader. You can listen to Justin’s interview on WIN anywhere you consume podcasts, or for convenience, we’ve embedded the episode right here:
Justin Breen is a master connector of visionaries. In the podcast, we explore the Kolbe Index and the high Quick Start ranking that usually identifies what Just describes as a “True Visionary.”
What is The Kolbe Index?
The Kolbe Index is a psychological assessment tool designed to measure an individual’s natural instincts and cognitive preferences in how they take action. Unlike other assessments that focus on personality, intelligence, or skills, the Kolbe Index specifically measures “conative” abilities—how people naturally behave when they’re striving to achieve something or solve a problem.
The Kolbe Index is divided into different types of assessments, with the most well-known being the Kolbe A™ Index. This test evaluates four key action modes:
- Fact Finder: How you gather and share information. High Fact Finders prefer to research thoroughly before making decisions, while lower Fact Finders might jump to conclusions quickly.
- Follow Thru: How you organize and design systems or processes. High Follow Thru individuals are systematic and prefer to follow procedures, whereas lower Follow Thru people are more flexible and can adapt to changing situations.
- Quick Start: How you handle risk and uncertainty. High Quick Starts are comfortable with improvisation and change, while lower Quick Starts prefer stability and predictability.
- Implementor: How you deal with physical space and tangible items. High Implementors prefer hands-on work and using tools, while lower Implementors may focus more on abstract thinking or planning.
The Kolbe Index provides a score in each of these areas on a scale from 1 to 10, indicating a person’s natural strengths and tendencies. The results are used to help individuals understand their natural working style and to create teams with complementary strengths.
The typical entrepreneur in Justin Breen’s circle has a Kolbe A Quick Start score of 9.
For anyone curious, we discuss our Kolbe A scores on the podcast, but here is a snapshot of mine:
The Pain of Being Misunderstood
One of the most profound challenges visionary leaders face is the deep sense of being misunderstood. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “To be great is to be misunderstood,” a sentiment echoed by Justin Breen in his work connecting some of the world’s most brilliant, and often misunderstood, minds.
- Breen’s Insight: “When you’re misunderstood your entire life, it’s very painful, but it’s also necessary to reach the highest level of consciousness.”
- Impact: This pain, while difficult, often drives visionary leaders to continue pushing boundaries and seeking out the rare few who truly understand and support their journey.
Isolation in a Conventional World
Visionary leaders operate on a different wavelength from most people. Unlike the masses, they are not motivated by money, power, or fame but by a deep sense of purpose and a desire to create lasting impact. However, this often leads to a sense of isolation.
- Breen’s Perspective: “Visionaries are not afraid of risk—they’re not afraid of anything. But most humans are. They’re dependent on the visionary to give them a job or a salary, which is fine. But visionaries are living well past their own lifetime. They’re not transactional; they’re living in purpose.”
- Challenge: This disconnect from the conventional world makes it challenging for visionary leaders to find their tribe—a group of like-minded individuals who understand and support their vision. The loneliness that accompanies being a visionary leader is one of the most significant challenges they face.
The Burden of Responsibility
With great vision comes great responsibility. Visionary leaders often feel a deep obligation not only to their ideas but also to the people who believe in them. This responsibility can be overwhelming, especially when the stakes are high.
- Breen’s Insight: “I know I’ve been given a gift; it’s a great responsibility. It’s been very painful, but it’s a responsibility, and it would be a disservice to humanity not to share this gift.”
- Pressure: The pressure to realize their vision, often with limited resources and against significant odds, can be a heavy burden to bear. The fear of failing those who believe in them—and more importantly, failing themselves—is a constant companion for visionary leaders.
The Challenge of Focus and Implementation
Many visionary leaders possess an incredible ability to generate ideas and see the big picture. However, translating these ideas into actionable steps and maintaining focus can be a challenge. Breen, whose Kolbe Index scores highlight his unique combination of high quick start and fact-finding abilities, recognizes this challenge in others.
- Breen’s Perspective: “Most visionaries are like you—a 9 in Quick Start, which means boom, idea. Most people I talk to are 9 Quick Starts. In my world, it’s average. And also having a 9 Quick Start means you’re not afraid of risk. But without humans or a stabilizer, or being married to a stabilizing human, disaster usually follows.”
- Solution: This statement underscores the importance of having a strong support system in place—whether through a team or a partner—to help bring a visionary leader’s ideas to fruition. Without this support, the grand ideas of visionary leaders can remain just that—ideas, with no real-world impact.
Overcoming the Challenges
While the challenges of being a visionary leader are significant, they are not insurmountable. Justin Breen’s work through the Epic Fit Network is a testament to the power of connection and collaboration in overcoming these challenges.
- Epic Fit Network: This unique organization connects visionary leaders—those with high EQ and IQ—allowing them to collaborate and amplify each other’s strengths. The network provides a space where these misunderstood geniuses can find understanding, support, and the resources they need to realize their visions.
- Breen’s Book: His forthcoming book, Epic Journey, delves deeper into these themes, offering readers a window into the lives of visionary leaders and the challenges they face. The book is not just a collection of stories but a guide for those who dare to dream big and challenge the status quo. It provides insights and strategies for navigating the often-turbulent waters of visionary leadership, emphasizing the importance of resilience, connection, and purpose.
Being a visionary leader is both a gift and a challenge. The ability to see what others cannot is a powerful tool for change, but it comes with its own set of difficulties—being misunderstood, feeling isolated, bearing a great responsibility, and struggling with implementation. However, with the right support system, these challenges can be overcome, allowing visionary leaders to bring their ideas to life and make a lasting impact on the world.
Justin Breen’s work and insights offer valuable perspectives for anyone who identifies as a visionary leader or works closely with one. His dedication to connecting and supporting visionary leaders through the Epic Fit Network and his book Epic Journey is a reminder that while the path may be difficult, it is also incredibly rewarding. I was blessed with an early copy of Justin’s book, and I enjoyed interviewing him – it was very difficult to edit it down to podcast length. Listen to Justin on What’s Important Now – and if you’ve got an epic story to tell, we’d love to host you, too! Fill out this form to get started!
If you listen to the podcast, you’ll note that we discuss Dave Marcincowski, the founder of Madera Residential (and several other companies), an EY entrepreneur of the year for 2024, a member of the Epic Fit Network, and a previous WIN podcast guest. Listen to Dave’s interview here!
For more information about Justin Breen and the Epic Fit Network, visit www.theepicfit.com.
Fox and Crow Group Helps Visionary Leaders Execute on Their Visions
One of the biggest takeaways from Justin’s interview was this: visionaries must surround themselves with stabilizers. They may struggle with things like documentation and process – that’s where Ian Richardson can help. Refer to Ian’s interview series “The Thursday Process” to see several examples of how Ian helps visionary leaders improve and document process.
If you’re struggling to get your team to see your vision, that’s not uncommon, and we can help. Schedule a call with Carrie here.
