My thirteen-year-old daughter Hannah bubbled with joy when she saw Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Ginevra de’ Benci in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. this summer. She is totally a fan. Hannah is an amazing artist, and this was a highlight moment for her.
Leonardo da Vinci was truly a Renaissance man. As an artist, he is best known for The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. However, he was more than an artist.
“Despite high achievements in painting, Leonardo would likely still be known to us today for his extraordinarily versatile intellect and creative mind. Equally skilled as a sculptor, architect, urban planner, inventor, anatomist, military strategist, and visionary who anticipated the invention of aircraft, submarines, and other technologies centuries before their invention, he was among the most influential figures of the Renaissance in Europe.”
As I read this quote from the National Art Gallery website, it struck me that Leonardo was really a visionary. He could image the future whether it was a painting or submarine. There is a powerful quote by da Vinci that illuminates his mindset.
“If the painter wishes to see beauties that charm him it lies in his power to create them…”
—Leonardo da Vinci
This quote triggered a leadership thought in me.
“If a leader wishes to see the beauty in those around him, it lies in his power to see them.”
– Todd Long
We often apply vision to creating new gadgets or tools. Yet, vision can also apply to how we see the people around us. We can imagine the future state of another person. As an inspiring leader, we have the opportunity to see the beauty in other’s talents, potential, and personality to help influence the future state of who these people are to become.
As I look at my daughter, I see her amazing talents, fabulous potential, and brilliant personality. I can see the beautiful possibilities of her future. It is my privilege and opportunity to help her become an incredible young woman.
What beautiful future state do you see in the people around you?
