An industrial vision, which has an impact on the development of a nation, must be delineated by people who understand the multi-dimensional implications of such a vision. That’s why industrialization is not the business of industrialists only. Strategists and planners are the ones who must be involved to guide other bodies concerned with development and industrialization issues. Strategic planners can be economists, philosophers, high-ranking officials, engineers, etc. provided they understand what is at stake, as well as the solutions that need to be implemented over time to reach the set objectives.
Yet, no matter how good strategic planners can be, they will not be able to achieve their goals if decision-makers are not as visionaries as the planners. High-level strategic decisions regarding industrialization can only emanate from the government because first and foremost the vision and the will to industrialize must come from politicians. China, among other industrialized nations, is a case in point. The results obtained by China today stem from the vision of former ruler Deng Xiaoping. And when the vision is clear at the top of the pyramid, it becomes easier to cascade it downward and to choose the experts who will be able to materialize the vision which is a rather long process which does not occur overnight. Singapore, a very small country, is another example of that vision.
A visionary is not necessarily a person who has 40 years of working experience because someone with only 10 years of working experience can be more visionary. The question is not, therefore about the age of the individuals. Indeed, a young leader can be more efficient than an old one, just like the inverse is as true. The quality of the people he works with determines success or failure because a visionary clarifies his intentions, while the execution is normally handled by competent people.