A Private Dream Needs a Public Vision: 4 Things Leaders Need to Fuel Vision
As a leader, you’ve been entrusted with the stewardship of vision. Your job is to keep the dream alive. Vibrant. Inspiring. Hope-filled.
I suspect you can hear the timbre of Dr. King’s voice and feel the urgency of his plea as you read the words “I have a dream today.”
Dr. King knew that the strength of a vision rests upon the ability of the leader to communicate it.
While most of us won’t be casting visions or writing speeches that will grace the halls of history, the visions we cast to the people we lead are incredibly important to the dream we have before us.
4 Things Leaders Need to Fuel Vision
1. Courage
It takes courage to lead toward a vision. Visionaries are the dreamers who define new ideas and are the first to believe they are possible. It takes courage to stick your neck out for a new idea and keep championing it until everyone you’re leading believes in it.
2. Patience and Endurance
If courage gets you started, it’s patience and endurance that see you through to a realized vision. Hebrews 10:36 instructs, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Living in a culture that is impatient with any process, we need to remind ourselves, and those we lead, that when we follow a God-directed vision, we must also trust his timing.
3. Conviction
What is that thing that keeps you up at night and keeps the wheels of your mind turning? What is that thing you can’t stop talking about? As a leader, you must know your conviction because it ultimately defines your vision. Conviction fuels patience and endurance; it’s the mark of true vision. Conviction puts teeth on a passion.
4. Focus
Visionary leaders with a focus stay committed to living out their vision. Your focus is the result of a conviction. These are the two driving forces that will keep the entire team going in the same direction.
Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18
Without Vision We Flounder
Those we lead need someone and something to follow. As leaders, we provide strength for our teams when we understand the power of vision. Visionary leadership means keeping hope and possibility in front of yourself and those you lead.
Do you have a dream? Fuel it will courage, patience & endurance, conviction, and focus, and see it come to life!
**This post is adapted from Chapter 7 of The Four Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership: The Power of Leading from Your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength
Jenni Catron is a writer, speaker, and leadership coach who consults churches and non-profits to help them lead from their extraordinary best. She speaks at conferences and churches nationwide, seeking to help others develop their leadership gifts and lead confidently. As Founder and CEO of The 4Sight Group, she consults with individuals and teams on leadership and organizational health.
Jenni is the author of several books, including Clout: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence and The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership.
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