Understanding Vision
Proverbs 29:18 - Where there is no vision, the people perish.
"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet." Theodore M. Hesburgh.
Vision is the starting point and end point of effective leadership and is part of the standard equipment of a real leader.
It is vision that makes a person a leader. A person without a vision is not a leader. Yet having a vision does not in itself make one a leader. A good leader also needs a workable plan and the personal drive and commitment to implement it.
Every great leader moves towards the vision and goal that has been set. A leader attracts followers. But nobody can be a leader without a good plan. A clear vision with good planning will draw people who will want to support the vision of the leader.
Vision is not a mystical concept but is a practical tool. Leaders must make the vision real. The purpose of vision is to help a leader to lead people. Leaders must make the vision tangible and compelling not only to themselves, but also to others.
Most people want to be led. However they will be reluctant to follow someone who does not possess vision.
Vision means that someone has an idea of what the future could look like and a plan of how to get there. This inspires people to want to become involved and contribute to making the vision a reality. Vision is hence a useful influence tactic for prospective followers who find vivid pictures or images inspiring. A leader must know what the end product will look like. This clarity permits a leader to be confident and decisive.
A vision must be:
* Achievable
* Inspiring
* Challenging
* Shared
* Measurable
A Godly vision must:
* Advance the Kingdom of God
* Be based on a personal call from God
* Be reproducible by the participants
* Incorporate a plan to become self-sustaining
Every large and successful ministry is started by a person with the vision to see it happen.
Christian leaders do not have to be indecisive if they will learn how to know when God is speaking to them. The realization of any goal cannot be achieved alone and will require the help of others. The vision cannot be that of the Christian leader’s own making, but must be a vision that has been given by God. A Biblical vision is a clear mental portrait of the future communicated by God to His chosen leaders.
True vision must come from God. When individuals conjure up a vision of the future, it is fallible, flawed, and limited. God’s vision is perfect in every way. Only He can install His vision to Christian leaders for the benefit of all. The vision originates with God.
A Godly vision is a view of the kind of world God wants His people to live in. Those whom He has called as leaders are to lead according to the guidance provided by His Spirit.
The Christian leader’s primary task is to provide the guidance people need to become more Christ-like. Those who seek positions of leadership for reasons other than fulfilling a God-given vision are not true leaders.
The leaders that God chooses must be willing to be used for His purposes and for His glory. God conveys His vision to leaders without asking His followers for their input. But a leader may ask for input from others. A Godly vision is not determined by a democratic vote nor is it the result of a consensus among a group of interested parties. The ultimate definition of the vision is from God. Others may play a role in helping to shape or position the vision.
The primary benefits of implementing God’s vision are as follows:
* Provides continuity with the past
* Builds a superior future
* Provides an opportunity for Christians to become involved
* Empowers people to do the work of God
* Heightens people’s commitments to their faith
* Motivates people
* Brings unity to God’s people
Anyone who is called by God to be a leader must devote a lot of hard work, time, study, and spiritual commitment to discern God’s vision for ministry. Many great Christian leaders across the world spend months or years interacting with God to gain access to the God-given vision.
It must be understood that a Christian leader is called to a higher standard of performance than the followers. Most visionaries admit that the process of seeking the vision brought them closer to God than they had ever been before.
Write down the vision
Habakkuk 2:2-3 - Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
The key to this process is creating a vision statement. This is a brief description of the vision.
Communicate the vision
Visionary leaders should inspire others who will invest in the ministry. Their decision will depend on their desire to see the vision being fulfilled.
No matter how appealing the vision may be, it will take some degree of coaxing to convince people to become committed to it.
Put the vision into action
If the vision remains just a dream, it will never become a reality. The leader is responsible to make the vision a reality. This may involve the following:
* Building a team that is energetically behind the vision
* Acquiring all the recourses necessary for successful implementation
* Formulating a plan which includes goals and strategies
* Introducing evaluative tools to assist in assessing progress and conformity
Refine the vision
Over a period of time, many things can change. A Godly vision normally outlives the visionary leaders. That is why it is important to develop potential leaders to ensure that the vision is passed on to the next generation of believers.
It should be understood that the main tenet of the vision should not change. However, some of the less central elements of the focus may change.
