Since the dawn of the twenty-first century, the U.S. military has been engaged in two major wars and other military operations short of war. The lessons learned suggest that the future security environment will present challenges and complexities that the joint force will be expected to overcome. The success of the joint force will depend on the operational leadership of its joint force commander. The joint force commander will need to possess and demonstrate varying leadership qualities. However, the essential quality that will facilitate the joint force to prevail is the joint force commander's operational vision. This paper explores the future security environment, examines the theoretical concept of operational vision, and the role of operational vision to the efficacy of the joint force commander. This paper draws upon the lessons of two operational commanders and the effects of their operational vision to the outcome of each respective military campaign. Finally, the analysis will conclude by demonstrating operational vision is the key leadership quality that will enable the joint force to overcome the challenges of the future security environment