Visionary Leadership

Bienhome Muivah *

Tangkhul Baptist Church at Imphal on 25 December 2013 :: Pix - Daniel Chabungbam

Vision is crucial and critical for leadership. No one can meaningfully engage in a discussion on leadership without touching on the leader's vision. If you don't have vision, in essence it means that you can't see where you are going, and you will never get there. You will be lost. 'Mission statement's and vision statement's are very popular today in Christian and non-Christian organizations (the secular world has borrowed the concept of "mission" and "vision" largely from Christianity).

Leaders expend all their energies and resources encouraging people to buy their vision. Visionary leadership theory and style are very encouraged at all organizational levels. There is no doubt that vision inspires and moves people to action. A leader's vision can really motivate people. The trend toward visionary leadership has changed the overall evaluation of effective leadership.

Though one does not have to uncritically accept all leadership theories, the concept of vision in its core is Biblical. Men and women of God have achieved great things for the Lord through God-given visions. Christian leaders do not pursue puny, worldly visions, but God-given and Spirit-generated visions that will have eternal impact. The vision that drives spiritual leaders must be derived from God and received through the medium of divine revelation-the Word of God.

Vision is the faculty or state of being able to see. It is the goal that provides direction. Leader must be men of vision. They must be able to see where they are going, and what they are to do, and how they are to do it. Since they know where they are going, they can navigate their course and reach the destination safely.

They are also aware when they are off course and not getting closer to their goal. Vision also helps in identifying the desired result and prepares one to achieve that result even through tough times and difficult choices. A vision statement usually refers to an aspirational description of what one would like to achieve or accomplish.

Biblical speaking, faith is vision-faith is the power, plan, purpose, providence, protection-and provision of God, revealed through His Word. In Christian leadership, vision is God-generated and imparted. Its source is God Himself, communicating His will through His word.

In the Biblical sense, vision is not a leader-generated idea or dream. A spiritual leader bears witness to what God says. He has to encourage people to grow in their personal relationship with God so that they will be able to sense for themselves, God's leading and direction. God- given visions can only be achieved through God-ordained means.

Regarding vision, one renowned writer/thinker observes that "the world functions by vision. But God does not ask His followers to operate by vision. God's people live by revelation… vision is something people produce, revelation is something people receive. Leaders can dream up a vision, but they cannot discover God's will. God must reveal it. The secular world ignores God's will, so non-believers are left with one alternative-to project their own vision.

Leaders are called to a totally different approach. The most famous verse in the Bible on vision is Proverbs 29:18: "Where there is no vision, the people perish". Where there is no revelation is a more accurate translation. The Hebrew word for vision is Prov. 29:18 is chazown means a mental sight, dream, a revelation or oracle.

The word has the idea of spiritual understanding. Revelation in this context refers to inspired wisdom. The second part of this verse reads, "But happy is he who keeps the law". "The word "vision" (revelation) and the word "law" are co-equal terms in this passage. Without God's revelation (God's word), people abandon themselves to their own sinful ways and destruction.

But obedience to God's law brings happiness. The key idea on vision in Proverbs 29:18 is that it is not a leader-generated dream. Vision refers to what God has revealed in His Word. A spiritual leader should derive his vision based on the revelation of God's truth.

Christian leaders have to be visionaries with compelling visions, articulating it as clearly as possible and encouraging people to achieve a desired goal. They do not produce a vision; they only help people see what God has promised for the future and how He is working in their midst. It is necessary for both the leaders and the people to have the sense that they are a part of something God is doing and together, they must accomplish the vision.

Fabulous Reading!