We hear a lot about how leaders must have a burning red-hot vision from God. If we accept Bill Hybel’s definition of vision (I do), then what exactly does it mean to have a vision? How can you tell if you’re moving in the right direction? Great! I’m glad you’re pondering that question.
As a subscriber to Harvard Business Review OnPoint Journal, I behaved like a child at Toys R Us upon receiving the Winter 2010 edition. “Turning Your Vision into Reality” is this month’s theme and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Vision is popular buzzword among leaders, especially church leaders. Unfortunately, many pastors attend conferences and come away with visions hijacked from others, falsely believing that God will do the same for their church. I call this ministry pornography (I’ll blog about that later).
Across studies and research traditions, vision has been found to be the central component in charismatic leadership and the essence of the oft-noted distinction between management and leadership. But what does it look like in action? As detailed by the Global Executive Leadership Inventory, behaving in a visionary way is the matter of doing 3 things well:
SENSING OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS IN THE ENVIRONMENT
- Author Max DePree says the “1st task of any leader is to define reality”
- Simplify complex language, strategies, and programs
- Foreseeing events that will affect the organization
SETTING STRATEGIC DIRECTION
- Encouraging new business
- Defining new strategies
- Making decisions with an eye toward the big picture
INSPIRING OTHERS
- Challenging the status quo
- Being open to new ways of doing things
- Inspiring others to look behind limitations
Question: Do you or other inspiring leaders possess these traits? Let’s dialogue!
Sometimes all it takes is for that leader to make that follower That has leadership potental understand the vision! Feel the vision! Then you will see the fire light up in your followers like a christmas tree. Some leaders need to take notes from my pastor C E STOWERS…. M.O.P. MARS HILL STAND UP!!!!!! GOD BLESS.
Man of Promise!
Thanks for taking time to read and comment on today's post. I like what you said and I'm humbled by your encouraging words. My goal in life is to empower others to pursue God's best version of themselves and I count it an honor to work with the Men of Promise. Be blessed my brother and may God grant you the desires of your heart!
These are great words of wisdom and directives to practice as a servant leader. The teachable moments encountered by you are those that men would have benefited from in years past, but what men now can benefit from, moving forward in the things of God.
– Rev. Marcel Townsel
Rev.,
Thanks for chiming in & I pray that all is well as you pursue the desires of your heart. I'm glad you were blessed by today's post and that you found value in it. I'm equally excited that God's allowing me to use cyberspace to help others reach the full potential in God. My goal is to use every moment as a teachable moment so others will have nuggets of truth to get them through the day. Be blessed!