What are the qualities and abilities of true visionary leaders? How do you evolve?

I recently read this article and it had me thinking. My question is how do we transition ourselves from where we are to where we want to be in a realistic way? What does it take to make oneself a visionary leader? What must you incorporate to be perceived as a visionary leader? Who is your favorite visionary leader and what impact did they have?

The one leader that first came to mind to me was Martin Luther King, Jr. and although he is a visionary leader, he was also an inspirational one. His passion, dedication, drive, and powerful words drove to every person that listened to the power of his vision, his dream. His famous words started a movement, “I have a dream…” to this day those words still inspire and awe. Thought this could be a great discussion piece.

“Visionary leaders are the builders of a new dawn, working with imagination, insight, and boldness. They present a challenge that calls forth the best in people and brings them together around a shared sense of purpose. They work with the power of intentionality and alignment with a higher purpose. Their eyes are on the horizon, not just on the near at hand. They are social innovators and change agents, seeing the big picture and thinking strategically. There is a profound interconnectedness between the leader and the whole, and true visionary leaders serve the good of the whole. They recognize that there is some truth on both sides of most polarized issues in our society today. They search for solutions that transcend the usual adversarial approaches and address the causal level of problems. They find a higher synthesis of the best of both sides of an issue and address the systemic root causes of problems to create real breakthroughs.”

Source: http://www.visionarylead.org/visionary-leadership-article.html