Vision is the lifeblood of any organization. It is what keeps it moving forward. It provides meaning to the day-to-day challenges and setbacks that make up the rumble and tumble of real life.
In a down economy—particularly one that has taken most of us by surprise—things get very tactical. We are just trying to survive. What worked yesterday does not necessarily work today. What works today may not necessarily work tomorrow. Decisions become pragmatic. But after a while this wears on people. They don’t know why their efforts matter. They cannot connect their actions to a larger story. Their work becomes a matter of just going through the motions, living from weekend to weekend, paycheck to paycheck. This is where great leadership makes all the difference. Leadership is more than influence. It is about reminding people of what it is we are trying to build—and why it matters. It is about painting a picture of a better future. It comes down to pointing the way and saying, “C’mon. We can do this!” When times are tough, vision is the first casualty. Before conditions can improve, it is the first thing we must recover.
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Michael, that's awesome that you were included in Seth's book. Congrats!
I totally agree about the importance of vision. IMO, too many people seem to be motivated by self-ambition, and too many businesses, non-profits, and even churches seem to be motivated by self-perpetualization – maintaining or growing the org has become more important than the vision. Those motivations can only work for a little while.
Long-term it's got to come back to something bigger than what's in it for me or what's in it for our org, it's got to be about how the org is going to make the world a better place.
Amen to that, Paul. It’s difficult to really engage a person’s heart unless you are enrolling them in a really big vision.
Vision is a preferred future. That's why it is very important to have it entering the next year. Where do I want to be by the end of 2010? Personally? Family? …
I got here through Seth’s book. Your vision of vision is fantastic :)
Ha! Thanks.
Michael,
Peace be with you!
Before I read your blog this morning I was dreambuilding about 2010. I posted a short note on Http://Twitter.com/FriarWade , “Who said, ‘We didn’t plan to fail. We failed to plan!’?”
Now I must ask myself which vision will I choose to subscribe to and do I really want the premium channel? Will I watch ‘re-runs’ or a new epic adventure?
I think I’ll take the risk on the new adventure. I can either ‘play’ now or pay later (with regrets).
Thanks for your timely blog post!
Fr. Wade+
Lakeland, FL
I love your television metaphor. Perfect!
I think it is very important. I find it difficult to convince others of my vision. My wife and I are going to Germany to do full-time missions for the 1st time. We have 2 financial goals and we have seen how easy it is to raise the one time goal. People have been happy to give. We are shy 1600 USD of our monthly goal. Because of our economy people just won’t (can’t?) give monthly.
Vision is important but it has been so difficult for others to see. I don’t want people to see God’s vision for my life but for their life as well. I desire for myself and other people to give away more. But I also realize how scary that is.
Michael, do you think vision is something everybody should have or is it a gift?
I definitely think there is a gift aspect to it. Some people have an easier time envisioning the future. However, I think it can be learned.
"When times are tough, vision is the first causality. Before conditions can improve, it is the first thing we must recover."
Such a great reminder. Thank you!
I consider myself a visionary and dreamer. Its what gets me through each day. It seems tho when you around others that are not they tend to bring you down. In my current work situation the leadership does not have that mentality and therefore creates an atmosphere where we need to only think of what we are doing at this moment and the future gets left behind. Hence there is no growth on his part and I just walk away with my visions stuck in my head.
thanks for the reminder… so needed.
Great article Mike and I'm enjoying Seth's book. Lack of vision or being cloudy about direction is a hard one to take. We need to be leaders with a positive outlook at the future. Being smart about decisions yes, but believing and building for a strong tomorrow.
If there is no vision how do you know where you are headed? All great leaders have the ability to create a vision and then boroadcast that vision to others and provide them with the guidance and resources to bring that vision to fruition. Hopefully once that vision is realized, the leader rewards those who helped. The other side of great leadership is being able to understand someone else’s vision and help them acheive it.
Vision is extremely important but so is knowing you are looking in the right direction. Is your vision focused on the right thing? Maybe that's the difinition of this kind of vision – laser focus.
"Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he that keeps the law." Proverbs 29:18 (NASB)
Great article! When things are going downhill, as many presume they are in these difficult times, the "naysayers" seem to rule. Whether in business or in the church, it will take leaders with vision to move ahead. And leaders with vision must be able to communicate that vision to their followers. And thanks again for sharing Seth Godin's free download. It's very good.
Vision is such a necessity. Those people. ministries, and companies that don’t have it always seem to make way for those that do. Great article!
Vision is such a necessity. That's why those people, ministries, and companies that don't have vision always seem to make way for those that do.
Great post Mike!
My recent post What is God’s Purpose in This Recession?
I like Peter Druckers' balanced approach to vision. "Vision without execution is delusion."
Michael,
Your contribution is very insightful.
Vision is as critical for 2010 as for each of the previous years. To have "vision", one must know what to look for – core beliefs and values to guide one's foresight, perception or discernment.
Vision can make a mirage the apparant goal if it is not equipped with the competence given by values and beliefs, and accompanying hope – the assurance of things yet unseen.
Great reminder Mike! I might have mentioned here recently that I was a soon-to-be Dad, well I am now(can’t help but SMILE) and vision is of paramount importance to me especially now that I’m a father. I recently finished our family constitution with the Family Vision being one of the sub points. I felt that I needed to clearly and deliberately define what our vision (and values) were. My wife loves it when I share my heart regarding the vision I have for our little nation. It gives her a sense that I have a plan, that I know where we’re going and that she and our recently added crying machine have a part in it.
In my opinion, vision is essential.
It's lack of vision which causes the most problems in a down economy.
Sure, things happen which mean that your vision is not able to play out the way you want it to but if you keep your eyes open to what's happening around you and constantly modify your vision to incorporate the current reality, it's what keeps you moving forward.
You demonstrate this, Mike, by keeping your eye on technological advances and changes in the way people read books. Overall your vision stays the same, but you adjust it to incorporate information you didn't have six months ago.
You're a great example of why vision matters and how to use vision to lead in a constantly changing world.
My recent post Do You Ever Feel Confused When God Makes You Wait?
I think vision is very important as we continue to keep lean in this economic condition. Money is tight and you team has to share that vision. It's about communication. That's what I keep saying. It's about communicating that vision making sure that everyone knows what, why, when, etc. Communicaiton…Period.
Thanks Peter_P.
VIsion and change go hand in hand, Vision is the ability to see the future, True Vision in the ability to create the futre you want. They both require change.
On the way to work today I heard someone on the radio say “If you think you don’t like change? You’ll like irrelevancy even less!”
Seth's book is a perfect example of vision – the vision possible in today's network of digital interaction and social media – with the ebook potential of today. It's packed with links and flavor that promote; make a difference within your self, your community, your world and have fun doing it.
Vision is not exclusive to leadership within a business, church or even global community, it is the power behind an individual choice. What leadership often overlooks unless times are "good" is that individual with a burning need to have fun.
Recent history with the Dot-Com implosion in 2001 showed fun run-amuck for profit and taking advantage of the stupid consumer. However, the leaders of that time are still going strong, with a focus on fun and innovation within their walls, aligned with compassion and bringing benefit to the consumer.
Leaders of today are asked to be even more aware of the fun needed in the lives of all, because fear can not reside long within laughter. But it needs to be laughter in joy of the moment, not laughing at the silliness of others. Leaders can not use their personal vision, for their personal objectives, without a healthy respect, compassion and generosity for the vision and leadership of organizations that present challenges.
Without challenge – vision dies.
The Vision that is before me now could not be more splendid. After years of obscurity, not knowing how to get my history of Rajasthan into to print, finally the breakthrough has come and will be publishing “Rajput” early in 2010 with WestBow.
But getting published is not really where it’s at, the big thrill for me is that such work has “engaged a person’s heart” but not just one heart, several, many, a community of teachers who seem to be as enthusiastic as I am to use this narrative in their schools. However, it is not just luck that these teachers in Rajasthan are enthusiastic- it is because a history of Rajasthan on a continuous basis spanning fifteen hundred years in a “user-friendly” English has never existed before. That is why these teachers wanted to get involved because they too saw “a really big vision.”
Of course, there are still problems to overcome on how to make these books accessible in an economy so different from ours, how to organize these teachers so as to give them the confidence to tackle the work and so on. But I am sure all will be resolved even if it means, as I plan to do, go to Rajasthan myself and oversee the project.
I thought I’d tell you all this, Michael, so that you might know, if it wasn’t for your idea of setting up “WestBow” and your continuous inspiration, none of this would ever have happened.
i think vision is everything. In the simplest way.. without vision we are lost and going through the motions blindly trying to find our way. i have felt this but i also know what it is to follow a leader with vision. which leads me to believe that being a good follower of the vision set by the leader makes for a stronger team.
I love this post. It reminds me to not only have vision but challenges me to set vision for those around me in way that is contagious for them and makes them want to walk out that vision.
thanks michael. i needed to read this.
Vision is crucial. Toyota has a 200 year plan. Long term vision drives what we do each day. If my vision is "what can I do this week," then I don't have much of a vision at all.
Working for a K-12 school district in California, I can relate to your post. We are very lucky in our district that our Superintendent has vision. His monthly meetings and focus on keeping as many people employed in a severe budget crunch as possible has been very well received.
This open communication and a positive vision for the future has gone a long ways with two powerful unions and hundreds on employees who were on edge about their jobs.
So many neighboring districts had no communication… except for the pink slip on their desk.
It was also helpful that our district had vision a few years back to put some money aside for a rainy day… the rains have certainly come…
My recent post Do You Have a Heartfelt Goal?
I think Vision in 2010 is the difference between success and failure. Without vision the leader will perish.
This is an excellent post! I'll be sharing it with my management team. Thank you!
Michael,
Thank you for sharing this. We are literally in the process of putting our vision on paper. Our company has been around for 2o+years and has NEVER had a clear, written vision. Over the past 6 months we have realized exactly the same truth, that vision is what carries us through. It changes the organization, and the people within, from trying to "stay afloat" to "Let's move forward & improved".
Great stuff, I love confirmation of what we are doing. Thank you for sharing.
Also, I have been following on twitter for a while and always appreciate your posts. Thanks for being a Linchpin. :-)
Erik