The Four Parts of a Compelling Organizational Vision
Luke Kuepfer • March 13, 2020
A compelling organizational vision should include a significant purpose, an ideal picture of the future, clear values, and a list of strategies and goals.
A significant purpose speaks to the ministry or business you are doing. It paints your organization’s reason for existence. Great companies and organizations have a deep and noble sense of purpose that inspires excitement and commitment. People can feel they are making a difference since they know what they are doing and why they are doing it.
A picture of the future answers the question: “What will the future look like if we are successful?” This is not simply an abstract idea but rather a mental image of what you can see with eyes of faith, believing that God has called and equipped you to fulfill your significant purpose.
Clear values speak to what will guide your decisions and behaviors on a daily basis. These need to support the organizational purpose and should be limited to less than five. Rank-ordering your values will ensure you do not have conflict when one needs to be given priority over another.
A list of strategies and goals outlines your plan to achieve your vision. It tells your members what priorities to focus on and gives directions on how to achieve them.
Once leaders clarify and share the vision, they can focus on serving and being responsive to the needs of followers who do the work to achieve the vision.
Several important considerations in closing:
- When followers help create and shape the vision, they take ownership.
- The more you talk about your vision and focus on it, the clearer it becomes and the more it’s understood.
- As others see you living the vision, they will believe you are serious, and this will further deepen their understanding and commitment.
[Next week we will wrap up this KNOWING section with senior leader responsibilities.]
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Organizations allow individuals to work together to accomplish things that they could not accomplish by themselves.
God wants each of us and the organizations we lead to always strive to do everything in an excellent and effective manner.
A long-range (strategic) plan serves as a “road map” to help us achieve the mission and vision that God has given us.
Leaders who develop followers grow their organization only one person at a time. But leaders who develop leaders multiply their growth.
A leader that leads, loves, and serves like Jesus must learn to use their power and influence to serve others and accomplish the mission God has given them.
Wisdom can be defined as having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. Wisdom is that character trait that enables one to live an exceptional life.
Decisions reveal the values of a leader and require obedience and dependence on God. They demand wisdom. Making decisions affects just about everything leaders do.
It is one thing for a leader to have a vision; it is quite another thing to be able to effectively communicate that vision to others so that they will embrace and internalize it.
Godly leaders must first have a vision of who God is, the future He holds for them, and a sense of what He has called them to do.
