The Power of Vision aims for greatness, studying the lives of Walt Disney, Masaru Ibuka, Helen Keller, Henry Ford, Nelson Mandela, and other historical figures (and perennial examples for self-help authors). Oyeniran delineates the route taken by each famous idealist, chronicling their hard work and perseverance, often in the face of denigration, failures, and danger (“Ibuka built Sony during a crisis, despite many failed attempts and almost being bankrupt experimenting with different ideas”). The true visionary, he notes, bears the responsibility to “challenge existing norms” and attempt to create a more noble world, a call-to-action that demands great focus and character. That may sound daunting, but Oyeniran insists that intense focus on “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” can make every reader a habitual change agent.
There’s power in Oyeniran’s insistence that the truly visionary approach is to better the world rather than just one’s own circumstances. The work’s first half becomes repetitive, with some chapters closely echoing each other in sentence structure and word choice, and some sections lionize the idea of a vision rather than offer clear guidance to help readers develop their own. Oyeniran’s focus tightens as he considers questions of leadership, character, and whether visionaries tend to be tyrannical. This enthusiastic guide poses challenging questions for readers eager to explore the possibility of visionary thinking.
Takeaway: This eager treatise challenges readers to develop ambitious personal visions not just for personal gain but for the advancement of humanity.
Great for fans of: Mark W. Johnson and Josh Suskewicz’s Lead from the Future, Joyce Schwarz’s The Vision Board.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: C
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: B