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A leader needs to have Vision, which can be defined as "intelligent foresight" (vision, 2005). This vision should not only be of themselves but also of each leader within the group and the group as a whole. A leader must first have a vision for themselves. They should be able to "see" themselves as successful in their position, and then will be able to empower others to also see their own vision of themselves. This empowerment of vision in the group is essential to the success of a unified goal.

The vision must be as the definition states, intelligent and foresight, in that the group will not buy into the vision unless it meets these requirements. When a leader has a vision, people will take notice. and, if a leader can prove that they have vision, the group will buy-in to the leader, and then ultimately the vision of the leader; as stated by Maxwell’s Laws of leadership.

This leads to the next point, in that the leader must keep their eyes on the prize. A leader must always have the vision of moving the mountain, and not forget about that vision when mixed up in the details of moving rocks. And lastly, the empowerment of this vision will give rise to the commitment level of the group and thus the momentum of the group (or the big mo as referred to by Maxwell). With this vision and increased commitment level of the group, the leader must now deliver the vision. This characteristic of a leader is often grouped with the drive for a charismatic leader, one who is "transformational, visionary, and inspirational" which is three-fold. First, the leader must communicate the vision, be charismatic in doing so, and then take the steps that are necessary to deliver this mission (Kirkpatrick, et. al., 2005). 

Without a purpose or vision, the members of a team will not be motivated and will not succeed. A team must be able to see the pot of gold at the end of rainbow. This vision, or purpose, must be attainable and realistic; and is often determined by the leader of the team. Therefore, a successful leader is one who can develop this vision, and inspire the team to make the vision a reality.

Resources:
1. vision. Answers.com. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. http://www.answers.com/topic/vision, accessed January 19, 2006.
2. Maxwell, 1998. Maxwell’s Laws of Leadership.
3. Kirkpatrick, Shelley A., et. al, 2005. A longitudinal study of the relation of vision and vision communication to venture growth in entreprenurial firms. Retreived from: vision.pdf