If the leader isn’t trusted, that’s hard to solve with a vision statement — that’s an issue with the team structure that should be addressed. But you also mention that the team doesn’t believe the leader’s vision. It’s important to ask why the team sees this as the leader’s vision. For a vision to become a North Star for the team, it needs to be a collective vision.

If the issue is that the vision seems “impossible”, it might be because the vision is too aspirational and it’s not detailed enough and actionable. Your vision should address 4 questions in detail:

• Whose world do you want to change? (Who)
• What does their world look like today? (What)
• Why does their world need changing? (Why)
• How should the world look once you’ve solved that problem? How are you bringing about that world? (How)

The Radical Vision Statement helps you answer the Who, What, Why and How in one coherent sentence. Your answers to these 4 questions may set a lofty goal but it should definitely not sound impossible.

Teams motivated by the purpose articulated by your Who, What, Why and How are also more likely to be willing to try something outside their comfort zone. To help with this, you should also translate the vision into a product strategy so your team sees a clear path for how they can achieve the vision. Here’s a link to help you craft your product strategy.