Future Vision
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Future vision is earthed in an understanding of God's calling |
One of the fundamental tasks of leadership is to ensure that an organisation shares a common vision for its future. However, truly shared vision is vastly different from a leaders personal vision which is then communicated to the organisation. A leader with a charismatic personality may be able to persuade others to follow this vision, but the risk is that the leader is left heading boldly into the futuer on their own, whilst others simply stand and stare! Thus shared vision becomes the sum of individual visions, expressed in a common way, rather than the lowest common denominator, or only that which all in an organisation have in common. (which may be very little indeed!) A vision which is genuinely shared will weave together common passion, energy and spiritual direction to provide a very significant force within the church.
Leaders can help this future focus in two ways.
Firstly, they can encourage church members to develop personal vision, and to understand their vocation. They recognise that people who have such calling and vision have the spiritual and physical energy to match. Leaders from in front may at times feel threatened by someone developing a vision which has the potential to take the group in a direction which is different to the leaders personal vision.
Secondly leaders can pose the questions that force the organisation to face up to the challenges that are uncomfortable, the issues that are being swept under the carpet, and help the church understand the root causes of these issues.
| Pause for thought : Is your church working in the future as well as in the present? Are you actively focused on a future vision of bringing the Kingdom of God? Christian Leadership World has two modules that can help with this - Visionary Leadership, to help a church or organisation establish corporate vision, and Identifying Potential, which can help individuals develop and reach personal vision. |
