Vision

We have spoken of how inspiring a group of people with a shared vision is one of the hardest challenges in leadership. Growing your vision is not easy. Having your vision impact the world for generations is perhaps the ultimate goal for a visionary, but such a goal can feel like climbing Mount Everest. Impossible! However, Jesus did it. The key is to create a growing wave of ambassadors for your vision across continents and generations.

One of the hardest areas of leadership is to inspire a group of people with a common vision, a shared vision. Why is this?

Typically, leaders are in love with their vision. They have a hard time letting anyone touch their vision. More often than not, their vision is years in the making and a culmination of all their hopes and dreams.

I was walking on Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida, a few weeks ago — the day before we were to return to Maryland. Siesta Key Beach is rated as one of the top beaches in the US, but today it was shrouded in fog. You could barely see 100 yards in front of you, out to the Gulf or inland to the condos lining the beach. The fog was so dense that you could feel the moisture on your skin.

Science fiction at its best holds the promise of what can be. It is idealistic and hopeful. That is what vision, at least great vision, is about – a clear picture of a better tomorrow.

You may not have a clear picture of what you want your vision to be or where you want to take your life, but you often have an idea, a thought. It calls out to you, compels you, and fills you with a passion unlike any you’ve felt before. I like to compare it to an impressionist painting more so than a photo.