When it comes to repairs around my home, I’m a pretty handy guy. I can lay tile. I can do carpentry, and if I’m really in a bind, I can repair sheetrock. Over the years, I’ve built up a pretty good set of tools in my garage. Having the right tool for the job significantly expands the kind of work you can do. The more powerful the tool, the more significant the work.

And I’ve found that this is also true in leadership. Different situations require different tools. But in the toolbox of leadership, few instruments are as powerful as vision.

Vision is a concept that we naturally understand but sometimes struggle to define. It has to do with a desired outcome and helping people to understand it. My favorite definition of vision is recorded in Andy Stanley’s book Visioneering:

“Vision is a clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be.”

Vision always consists of 1) a problem to be solved and 2) a leader who develops the confidence that they have a solution to that problem, and 3) the resolve to do something about it.

In the Bible, Nehemiah provides one of the clearest examples of vision in action. The book of Nehemiah begins with him learning about the problem: Jerusalem was in disgrace and danger.

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.

Nehemiah 1:3 NIV

When Nehemiah heard this news, he immediately responded in prayer and fasting for the people of Jerusalem, but it wasn’t until four months later that we read he had both the solution and the resolve to do something about it.

…Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Nehemiah 2:4-5 NIV

But that was just the start for Nehemiah. From there, he had to travel to Jerusalem, assess the situation, cast a vision to the people of Jerusalem, oversee the work, and fight off those who opposed them. Vision seems simple, but it requires a considerable amount of work to achieve a significant result.

Fortunately, in Visioneering, the author not only defines vision, but he also shares four building blocks of an effective vision:

  1. The problem
  2. The solution
  3. The reason something must be done
  4. The reason something must be done now

Leader, what’s the problem that’s burning in your heart? Maybe you’re already in the middle of implementing the solution. Any serious problem won’t be easy to overcome, and you will certainly face setbacks, but pray that God will give you the clarity to communicate the vision effectively and the resolve to see it through.

Blessings,

Kyle Gilbert, Vice President for Communications