Why Having Vision is Key

A leader without vision is one that is hardest to follow. Or the more appropriate statement would be: Is a leader without vision even worth following? 

Are you a leader with vision. Or if that vision is still bleak or blurry, how can you sharpen it or make it clearer?

A vision is a comprehensive and clear picture of what a group or organization is or should be at some point in the future. It provides direction because it describes what the organization needs to be like, to be successful within the future.

A more colorful or loose definition of vision is that it’s something that’s seen in a dream; a thought, concept, or object formed by the imagination. So when you apply it in your organization, vision is the act or power of imagination; it’s the mode of seeing or conceiving. Simply put, vision is the act or power of seeing.

A vision describes the what (ex. What are you trying to achieve in the future?) It is the end result of a strategic planning process. So the vision has to be carried out through careful and mindful planning. You need to be thorough with your vision.

A goal is different from a vision since a goal is an individual experience and accomplishment you strive for. A vision is the bigger picture in which everyone’s goals contribute to. 

Vision and Leadership

Us leaders have vision. We share a dream and direction that other people want to share and follow. The leadership vision goes beyond your written organizational mission statement and your vision statement. Having a vision helps you determine your key strength and your mental power so that you have realistic goals.

The vision of leadership penetrates the workplace and is unmistakable in their actions, beliefs, values and goals.

When others in the organization believe in the vision and find new ways of accomplishing more, the vision begins to live and take on a life of it’s own. This is what leadership is all about. 

So the key insight is that vision needs to be communicated. Otherwise, it will just stay as a nicely worded poster in your bulletin board that nobody really cares about.

How does having vision affect a person’s leadership? Andy Stanley, Head Pastor at megachurch North Point Ministries and a renowned visionary, summed it up perfectly why a leader needs vision: vision always precedes preparation. 

Initially, your vision will exceed your competency. No matter how good you are as a leader, if you can’t see where you are going or don’t know where you are headed, no amount of preparation can help you and your team get there. Vision is the primary motivating factor of a leader. 

Stanley also highlighted an important point about vision – there’s a price to pay in achieving or realizing it. Pay the price. Embrace the vision. After all, everybody ends up somewhere in life. You have the opportunity to end up somewhere on purpose. Be purposeful in your existence. Anchor it on a vision.

Why do people without vision end up not achieving their goal or reaching their destination? As shared by letsgrowleaders.com, a vision continues to act as a beacon, shining the light to your way towards goal achievement. Those without vision tend to go around in circles. 

They may seem productive superficially, but in the long run, they will run out of steam because they are not getting anywhere.