In this podcast episode I talk about the relationship between vision and productivity. I share the story of becoming a divisional leader at Thomas Nelson. Better productivity would not have improved our operating results. We needed a better vision.

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Episode Outline

I discuss how any leader can develop vision by following these seven steps:

Vision and strategy are both important. But there is a priority to them. Vision always comes first. Always. If you have a clear vision, you will eventually attract the right strategy. If you don’t have a clear vision, no strategy will save you.

I have seen this over and over again in my professional and personal life. Once I got clear on what I wanted, the how almost took care of itself. Let me give you an example.

Whether you’re a “Mac or PC,” the recent passing of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs at the age of fifty-six from pancreatic cancer provides a salient moment of reflection for any organizational leader.

Jobs’ legacy and impact on the world is likely to stretch far into the future compared to the brief thirty-five years of his professional career, which took seed in his family’s garage when the idea of Apple was planted with Stephen Wozniak in 1976.

Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of hosting the Chick-fil-A Leadercast Backstage program. I interviewed several notable authors as they came off the stage, including John Maxwell, Seth Godin, Sir Ken Robinson, Dan Cathy, Suzy Welch, Frans Johansson, and several others. I thought I would share these with you over the next several weeks.

In this interview, I talk to Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-fil-A. He is the son of S. Truett Cathy, who founded the company in 1946. I met Dan a few years ago, and we had immediate rapport. We shared the same values and interest in leadership. He embodies Chick-fil-A’s customer-centric business model. He has since become a friend and mentor.

As I interviewed him, we talked about several topics, including:

What if work wasn’t just work? What if work was a vehicle to live and share a bigger purpose?

I believe there’s a flawed perception in our society that in order to live a life of purpose we have to leave our jobs and go solve world hunger, feed the homeless, move to Africa, or start a charity.

As a book mentor, I’ve read plenty of passionless prose. And as a fellow pilgrim, I’ve listened to many people who shyly look away when I ask them what their passion is. Why is that? I have a hunch that many of us have a hard time identifying our passion. Why? Several reasons:

• Our insecurities define us more than our hidden, suppressed dreams.
• We are afraid to boast.
• We see the vastness of the world and feel insignificant or overwhelmed to make a difference.

People with dreams are a dime a dozen. I meet them all the time. So do you. Some even start organizations. But few ever have the impact they initially hoped for. They just can’t seem to get their project to the next level.

Enter Praxis, a new non-profit organization set up to help social entrepreneurs build high-impact organizations. What does the name mean? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, praxis is the practical application of a theory.

This has been an incredibly busy week. On Monday, I announced that I was stepping out of active management and turning over the CEO reins of Thomas Nelson to Mark Schoenwald.

On Tuesday, Mark and I flew to Dallas to make the announcement to our Live Events team. That afternoon, I flew to Chicago and, on Wednesday, I attended a board meeting for a nonprofit ministry I support. On Thursday, I packed up my office at Thomas Nelson. On Friday, Gail and I began setting up my home office.

My friend and colleague, Mary Graham, brought this concept video about the future to my attention. It is produced by Corning Glass. It shows what is possible in the near-future. It is worth taking five minutes to watch this.

In my role at Thomas Nelson, I have had the privilege of seeing some amazing technology. This one from Corning is similar to others I have seen from Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard. The future is coming faster than you think. Personally, this kind of stuff gets me excited.

Jenna Lucado is the daughter of my dear friend and bestselling author Max Lucado. She is the co-author of You Were Made to Make a Difference, along with her dad. She is also one of the main speakers at Revolve, a conference for teenage girls. In a moment, I will tell you how to get a $10.00 discount on a Revolve ticket.

I have known Jenna for several years. Gail and I traveled with her and her husband, Brett, to Ethiopia. It has been fun watching her come into her own as a communicator. In fact, the first time I heard her speak, I was sitting next to Max. Five minutes into her talk, I leaned over to him and whispered, “Wow. She is better than you!” Without missing a beat, he laughed and replied, “I know. She is!”