vision(5/1)
Any attempt to bring out ideas into reality must fall short
We fail to see, or refuse to accept, that any attempt to bring our ideas into concrete reality must inevitably fall short of our dreams, no matter how brilliantly we succeed in carrying things off–because reality, unlike fantasy, is a realm in which we don’t have limitless control, and can’t possibly hope to meet our perfectionist standards.
Keep the vision steady
People follow a leader in part because of his life’s direction. When he’s going where the people want to go, and they believe the leader can help get them there, they’ll follow him to the end ({maxwell-minutes}, pg. 235). Thousands were willing to follow Gideon into battle against the occupying armies of the Midianites, although they had feared them for years (ESV, Judges 7). If a leader loses focus on the vision or switches to another vision, his followers may disband.…
Companies with bold views stand out
A company with no stance doesn’t stand out. There’s a fear in marketing that if the brand messaging doesn’t allow for everyone’s opinion, the customer portion who disagree will be alienated by the company’s stance. There’s some truth to this; any company whose brand stance maintains that white people are superior to black people will lose customers in Chicago. However, many of the ways a company’s values stand out would generate dialogue, not distress (Miller).…
Leaders with vision and no compromise fail
Leaders with a holy vision and no compromise fail. Early in the rise of Lincoln’s political career his party was at a crossroads. They sought to elect a new Illinois politician, but could not decide upon the man. Abolitionists cried for a candidate with a bold public stance against slavery. Unionists urged for a moderate voice to subdue the rising discontent between North and South. Each had their candidate; each vilified the other’s.…
Compelling vision unites employees
There’s an image that’s regularly referenced at my work. It is a large, hollow arrow with many smaller arrows inside. The arrows all point in different directions. Some are large, some thin; others are filled in; other colors, etc. This represents a business where the direction is unclear, and everyone pursues the direction they think is important. The large arrow isn’t likely to move far with all those internal directions pressing in disparate directions.…
Vision leads to profit
Owners that pursue vision beyond profit may find themselves profitable anyways. There’s a quote on our refrigerator about happiness. “Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you seek it, the more it flies away. But if you are still, if you seek something else, happiness may just rest upon your shoulder.” There’s a principle there that applies to business. The “Profit Paradox” (Williams, pg. 109) is an example. When companies pursue goals beyond profitablility, they often outperform other companies that placed all their vision in making money for their shareholders.…