Research indicates that leaders tend to be remarkably well-balanced people who embody four areas of competency: vision, the ability to communicate that vision, positive self-regard, and the ability to build trust with associates. The process of creating a vision of the future requires an understanding of the opportunities and threats present in the external environment, and of the strengths and weaknesses characterizing the internal environment. The technology of strategic planning and management, including both internal audit and external assessment, offers a model for developing this requisite understanding. Developing a vision of the future also requires a commitment to key concepts about the study of the future and a planning horizon. By tracing the development of social systems (e.g., business and industry, health and human services, government and military, and education and training) through the post-industrial, early technical, and advanced technical phases of society, one can begin to specify possible, probable, and preferable futures. These visions and preferred scenarios must then be transformed into a multi-year plan of action. The ability to implement this plan requires that the planning, research, and development function of a college be located near the top of the organizational structure in order to assist the chief executive officer in creating a long-term vision for the institution. (RO)