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In my March 26th Post, I relayed the following story: As an individual contributor and aspiring leader in my organization, I always knew “that vision thing” (a term coined by President George H. W. Bush after he spent time at Camp David in 1987 preparing for his Presidential run) was a critical part of leadership. So, I was very excited when I was selected for my first leadership role over a team of 3 people. I set up our first meeting and prepared a vision for our future. It was a beautifully-written, inspiring one-pager…if I don’t say so myself!
When I presented it to the team, I got blank stares and a lack of excitement. I would later learn that…big surprise…my team members had ideas about our future too. And they wanted to have a part in creating the team’s vision! That leadership lesson was never lost on me, as I’ve moved into different leadership roles over the past 10 years.
John Maxwell relates a similar experience: I wanted people to instantly follow me and fulfill the vision. I often asked myself, “Why aren’t people buying in?” Instead I should have been asking, “How can I build credibility?” Until you have credibility, don’t even try to get buy-in for your vision. You won’t get it. You need to earn trust before people will buy in, and you must earn it through character and competence.
Mark Griffin—who started In HIS Name HR after serving as a VP for HR in a Fortune 500 company—wrote in How To Build “Kingdom Minded” Organizations, “Vision helps guide all its employees and supervision to their desired destination and explains why. Organizations with a Vision have a workplace of direction, purpose, and achievement… The best Vision is one that has been created, or at least contributed to, by all employees of the organization.”
Out of This World Leaders who are followers of Jesus Christ must first have a vision of who God is and the future He holds for them. They must also have a sense of what God has called them to do.
The apostle Paul had both. Through a miraculous experience, he was taken to heaven where he saw images too spectacular to communicate. That vision enabled him to endure intense hardship with an unwavering faith in God. Paul also had a vision of his earthly ministry among the Corinthians. He knew God had called him to minister to the Gentiles (Romans 1:5). And he knew the Lord directed him to return to the Corinthians a third time. Then in Romans 15, he spoke about his vision to take the Gospel to Rome and Spain.
In the last two chapters of the Bible, we read about the Revelation to John—a vision that transcends current comprehension.
God will give each of us insight into our spiritual destiny. As we seek Him through His Word and by prayer, ask Him to show Himself. Ask Him to give you a clear image of the work He has called you to join Him in accomplishing.
And may you create a shared Vision along with your team, as you shoot for the stars!