neoLeader - Vision

Vision (Part 4)

john — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:29:18 -0700

John Sweetman

So far I've emphasised the importance of vision in leadership, but the big question is, how do you get a vision?

There's no easy answer to this. Sometimes your vision is more or less given to you because you are part of an organisation with a clear vision. You don't really have much choice. It's easy. (Though you will need to personalise it for your leadership role.)

Sometimes it just comes from God out of the blue. A number of times I've been walking and praying and suddenly it has just hit me.
Sometimes it comes through a long process of consultation and prayer. You talk to stakeholders, pray with others, discuss possibilities, and gradually discern the vision.
Sometimes it's provided by a mentor. Someone wise who knows you and your leadership role well suggests a vision for you.
Sometimes it emerges from a team as you dream together.

I'm sorry - there is no formula. But if you are leading then you need to be leading somewhere. If you don't know where you are going, how can people follow you? You need vision.

Here are a few ideas if you are seeking vision:

Pray lots. Vision has to come from God and is most likely to be discerned when you are praying. You want to know where God is leading. That way you won't waste time chasing something unimportant. Fasting can also be beneficial. Look for God's wisdom and direction in Scripture.
Be brutally honest. Be aware of both the potential and failings of your organisation/team. Admit your own strengths and weaknesses. Be honest about the challenges. God-given vision emerges from reality not pretence. You don't have to be afraid of the present. Any vision has to start with what God has given you now.
Talk to people. The vision doesn't have to come from you. Where do your team members think God is calling? What do your mentors say? Toss around ideas.
Dream. What are your passions? What could God do? What do you dream of?

If you have any practical questions about discerning your vision, don't hesitate to put them on the blog and I (and others) will have a go at answering them. It's easy to theorise about vision, but it's tougher when it comes to actually nailing a vision down.

Vision (Part 3)

john — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:23:37 -0700

John Sweetman

It may only appear to be semantics, but it's actually important to distinguish between vision and core values. Otherwise you might find yourself working well and healthily, but not actually getting anywhere.

Your vision describes what you are trying to achieve. It's a picture of the future that calls you to make sacrifices so that it can be accomplished. It's not present yet. It's a dream of the future.

Your core values are the essential principles through which your vision will be achieved. We all have core values. For example, I believe that team is vital to leadership. So I make a big effort to develop a healthy team in my leadership. Wherever I am leading, whatever the vision, I will work at developing a leadership team. It's one of my core values. But it's not my vision. It's an essential means by which the vision will be achieved.

Maybe I'm getting too complicated here, but a vision, when it is achieved, can actually become a core value. When I was pastoring at Bracken Ridge we had a God-given vision to become a large, healing, community church. Once we achieved this, momentum died because our vision had actually become one of our core values. We no longer had a dream of the future that called us forward.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that you will have core values. It may actually be helpful to write these down. What is vital to you as you lead? They will already be true for you (even if others may not agree). They will be non-negotiable for you.

But a vision is something that at the moment is only a dream. Something that will need your effort and God's intervention to achieve. Your vision calls you forward. It's something God places in your heart. We'll look more at this next week.

Vision (Part 2)

john — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:42:46 -0700

John Sweetman

Last week I described how the emphasis on vision has waxed and waned in the thinking of evangelicals. When it comes to vision the first question to ask is, "Does the Bible suggest that vision is important."

The Bible verse most used to justify the importance of vision is Prov. 29:18: "Where there is no vision the people perish." Many people translate this roughly as: "If you're aiming for nothing, you're sure to hit it." But in this context the word "vision" really means a revelation from God. So a better translation is: "Where there is no truth revealed by God, people completely mess up their lives." The Western world exemplifies this proverb. It has little to do with having a personal vision.

But it does seem apparent from Scripture that when God raised up leaders, he almost always called them to pursue a God-given vision. From Abraham through to Paul, biblical leaders were committed to pursuing God's vision. Here are some examples that have been carefully recorded in Scripture:

ABRAHAM: Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. (Gen 12:1-2)
JOSHUA: Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. (Josh 1:6)
AMOS: I was neither a prophet or a prophet's son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, "Go, prophesy to my people Israel." Now then, hear the word of the Lord. (Amos 7:14-16)
JEREMIAH: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations… See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." (Jer 1:5, 10)
DAVID: The Lord said to Samuel, "I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king… Rise and anoint him [David]; he is the one." So Samuel anointed him, and from that day on the Spirit came upon David in power. (1 Sam 16:1, 12-13)
JESUS: The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matt 20:28)
PAUL: And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth I am not lying) and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. (1 Tim 2:7)

Now of course these visions were nation-changing, even world-changing, calls from God. While the vision God gives us may not be as earth-shattering, it does seem that the idea of having a God-given vision to pursue is biblical. Vision is important.

Vision (Part 1)

john — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:51:48 -0700

John Sweetman

Churches first started to talk about vision about 20 years ago. Up until then we were pretty happy to serve God and people and didn't really think too much about planned results. But respected American leaders began to emphasise the need to be more intentional about what we were doing.

So before long we were all writing mission/vision statements and putting them on our bulletins and on the walls of our churches. Vision was big.

For some churches this tightened up their ministry and propelled them into significant advance. For many, it was a time-consuming exercise that generated a lot of heat, but had little long-term impact.

Since then, vision has gone off the boil somewhat. Postmoderns don't like the idea of a corporate vision and some leaders feels that things are changing so fast that any long-term vision is a waste of time anyway. Many who tried the whole vision thing are somewhat sceptical about its usefulness. Then there are those who preach that results are God’s work not ours.

So should we have a vision or not? Do we need to target a "preferred future," or should we just do our best? More personally, should you have a vision for your ministry or life or career or business? It's an important question.

Over the next few weeks I want to explore this issue. But may I ask a question, "Are you pursuing a vision of some sort in any area of your life and, if so, how did you develop it?"

Are You a Visionary Leader?

john — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 21:47:17 -0700

John Sweetman

The vision of a leader often inspires people to follow. They feel excited that as they work and serve, God will use them to make a difference.

Christian leaders offer a strong sense of hope to those who follow because they have listened to God and are calling others to pursue together a God-given vision for the future.

While there is no direct New Testament command for Christian leaders to have a vision, it does seem clear that when God raised up leaders, he almost always called them to pursue a God-given vision. From Abraham through to Paul, biblical leaders pursued God’s vision.

By vision, I’m not necessarily thinking about a catchy statement or some grandiose plan, but a Spirit conviction that there is a God-given way forward. I believe this comes when we desperately seek God, consult with others, and listen for God’s confirmation. Prayer is fundamental to vision. Vision comes as we seek God over lengthy periods. It involves lots of listening and is an on-going process. The vision becomes a compelling glimpse of God’s future that grips the heart of the Christian leader and then of those who follow.

Godly vision provides followers with a hope for the future, a purpose for sacrifice, and a reason to risk. Without leadership vision, people easily settle into the semi-comfort of mediocrity. Christian leaders offer hope that God has not finished his work, but can do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20). Hope breathes life and meaning into service, sacrifice and suffering.

Here’s a brief checklist to see how you’re going as a "visionary" leader.

Please rate each statement on the following scale:

5 - Strongly Agree; 4 - Agree; 3 - Neither Agree nor Disagree; 2 - Disagree; 1 - Strongly Disagree

The TOTAL gives a score out of 25. A score over 20 indicates health.

1. My desperation for God to work pervades my prayer life.
2. I have sensed God speak about things he will do through my ministry.
3. I continue to hold on to the things God says even when they seem very unlikely.
4. I speak often (personally and corporately) about God’s vision for our future.
5. People are hopeful about what God will do through our team and ministry.