Vision That Resonates: How to Cast a Message That Moves People

Most leaders are underselling their vision—not because they lack clarity, but because they’ve never taken time to connect it to meaning. In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I walk you through how to create a vision that doesn’t just sound good—it moves people. The kind of vision that sticks in a recruit’s mind, shapes their decisions, and makes them want to follow you before you ever ask them to.

This isn’t about metrics or market share. It’s about story, emotion, and alignment.

Episode Breakdown

[00:00] Introduction – Why most vision statements fall flat and what a real, resonant vision actually looks like.
[01:00] Make It Personal – Tie your vision to your story. Why are you building this? Why does it matter to you?
[02:30] Paint the Picture – Don’t just say it—show it. What would your culture look and feel like if it were a movie?
[03:30] Make the Recruit the Hero – Stop casting yourself as the center. Invite recruits to co-create something with you.
[04:00] Align to Their Values – Ask the right questions, then tailor your vision to what matters most to them.
[05:00] Repeat It Often – Vision isn’t a one-liner. It should show up in every call, huddle, and message.
[06:00] Flexible Framing – Anchor your message to one true north, but adapt how you communicate it depending on who you’re talking to.
[07:00] Final Challenge – Write and speak your personal vision—not your company’s. Practice until it becomes second nature.

Key Takeaways

• Vision Isn’t a Slide—It’s a Story – If it doesn’t move people emotionally, it won’t move them physically either.

• Connect It to Your Why – Your personal journey gives your message authenticity and power.

• Show, Don’t Tell – Use specific, real examples to help others see what you’re building.

• Speak to What They Value – Great recruiters listen before they cast. Then they connect the dots.

• Repeat It Relentlessly – Repetition isn’t annoying—it’s what makes vision stick.

The vision that resonates is the one that’s honest, heartfelt, and repeated with conviction. When your message is clear, personal, and aligned with others’ desires, you won’t have to convince them. They’ll want in.

Want help clarifying and communicating a vision that attracts top talent? Subscribe to my weekly email at 4crecruiting.com or book a session at bookrichardnow.com. Let’s build a vision people want to follow.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
So the big question is this, how dorecruiting leaders like us who have
12 to 15 other job responsibilitieswin at this game of recruiting?
How do we build a system that allowsus to recruit effectively in a minimal
amount of time while motivatingrecruits towards meaningful change?
That is the question, and thispodcast will give you the answers.

(00:21):
My name is Richard Mulligan, andwelcome to Recruiting Conversations.
Hey everybody.
Welcome back to Recruiting Conversations.
I'm Richard Milligan, and todaywe're diving deep into one of the
most important and underdevelopedparts of the recruiting process.

(00:42):
How do I create a vision that genuinelyresonates with potential recruits,
and I mean really resonates, not justsomething that sounds good on paper
or looks nice in a presentation.
I'm talking about the kind ofvision that makes someone sit
up straighter on a zoom call.
The kind of vision that lingersin the back of their mind days

(01:03):
after your conversation, thekind of vision that moves people.
Here's the truth.
Most leaders are underselling what they'rebuilding, not because they're not doing
something valuable, but because theyhaven't taken the time to connect it to
meaning and meaning is what moves people.
So today I wanna walk you throughhow to create a vision that

(01:24):
doesn't just inform, but inspires.
That doesn't just outlinestrategy, but stirs the soul.
First, let's clear something up.
A vision that resonates is nota list of business objectives.
It's not we want to grow by 25%, orwe're looking to double our team size,
or we're going to capture market share.

(01:44):
That's a goal.
It's a metric.
And while that might matter to you,it's not going to inspire someone to
leave where they are and join your teambecause here's what most leaders forget.
People don't leave where theyare just for opportunity.
They leave because they feelpulled into something bigger.
They leave because they finda place where they feel seen.

(02:06):
Where they feel aligned, wherethey feel like their gifts
and story actually matter.
That's what a real vision does.
So the first move isthis, make it personal.
You've gotta connect yourvision to your own journey.
Why did you step into leadership?
Why are you building this team?
Why are you showing up every day to lead?
When you can tell that story with passionand clarity, it becomes infectious.

(02:28):
Maybe your story sounds like this.
I spent years under leaderswho didn't value me.
I. I was performing, but no oneever asked where I wanted to go.
So I set out to build the kindof culture I wish I'd had.
A place where people are coached,where they're developed, where their
voice matters, or maybe it's this.
I watched people around me burn outtrying to chase volume, and I thought

(02:51):
that there's gotta be a better way.
So I started creating systems that allowpeople to win without sacrificing their
families or their health, whatever itis for you, that's the starting point.
Real vision starts with real story.
Now, once you've got that foundation,the next step is to paint a picture.

(03:12):
This is where most leaders miss it.
They state the vision, butthey don't show the vision.
Saying we're building a greatculture means nothing If
I can't see it or feel it.
So ask yourself this.
If your vision were a movie,what scenes would be in it?
What moments are happening?
What conversations are taking place?
What does a team meeting feel like?

(03:33):
What do the celebrations look like?
What kind of people are in the room?
Get specific.
Instead of saying, we support eachother, say, our team has a habit of
texting each other, wins every Friday.
Or we do anonymous shoutouts inour Slack channel every week.
Instead of saying, we invest in people,say, every new team member gets a custom
90 day growth plan and weekly one-on-onenins for their first six months.

(03:56):
These are the details thatmake a vision believable.
Next, you've gotta make therecruit the hero of the story.
Too often leaders cast a visionwhere they are the center.
Their goals, their team, theirmetrics that doesn't resonate.
Instead say, we're buildingsomething meaningful, and I see
you playing a big part in that.
Or we're looking for people who wanna leadothers, and I think your background makes

(04:20):
you an incredible fit for that journey.
You're not inviting someone intoyour dream, you're inviting them
to co-create something with you.
That's what creates real ownership.
Then there's this.
Align your vision with their values.
Before you cast vision,you've gotta ask questions.
You've got to understandwhat matters to this person.
Are they wired for growth?
Do they care about mentorship?

(04:42):
Do they want time freedom?
Do they want to be part ofsomething that leaves a legacy?
If you're casting vision withoutlistening first, you're just guessing.
But if you listen well, you'llstart to see the overlap.
You'll find the parts of your visionthat already match where they want to go.
Then you emphasize those.
You say things like, youmentioned wanting more mentorship.

(05:05):
That's actually one of the biggestthings we're focused on here.
Or you said you were looking for a placewhere you could grow into leadership.
That's literally what we'rebuilding this team to do.
Now let's talk about repetition.
Vision isn't a one-time speech.
It's not a slide you show in yourrecruiting deck and never mention again.
Vision has to be repeated over and overagain until people can say it back to you.

(05:29):
It needs to be baked into yourone-on-ones, into your recruiting
calls, into your team huddles,into your email signature.
You should sound like a broken record inthe best way, and here's why that matters
in the noise of the recruiting world.
People forget.
They forget what you said.
They forget what you stand for.

(05:50):
They forget why it mattered to them.
Repetition keeps the fire burning.
One more thing, make yourvision flexible but rooted.
The heart of the vision shouldstay steady, but how you talk about
it can evolve based on who you'retalking to and where the market is.
A good vision has layers.
You can talk about it in a tacticalway with someone analytical.

(06:12):
You can talk about it in a legacy drivenway with someone more emotional, but it's
always pointing to the same true north.
So here's your challenge.
I want you to sit down this weekand write out your vision from the
heart, not the company's vision.
Yours.
Why are you building?
What kind of people are you looking for?
What kind of culture are you creating?
What kind of impact do youwant this team to make?

(06:34):
Then I want you to say it out loud, notin a polished pitch, in a conversation.
Feel it.
Let it land and practice sayingit until it becomes natural.
Because when your vision is clear and trueand personal, people won't just hear it.
They'll feel it.
And when they feel it,they'll want to be part of it.
That's all for today's episode.

(06:55):
Go cast a vision that actually movespeople, and I'll see you back here
soon on recruiting conversations.
Want more recruiting conversations?
You can register for my [e-mail].
If you need help creating your ownunique recruiting system, you can book
a time with [e-mail].

(07:15):
I.