Malcolm Webber
When properly communicated, a divinely-inspired vision will empower positive change by focusing the collective energy of all involved, and by building commitment and a willingness to take personal responsibility for the organization’s success.
The servant-heart of the godly leader desires to transform the lives of his constituents. He is not interested in people merely going through the motions of following his vision. He wants them to genuinely share the vision. Consequently, he seeks to capture their hearts with the vision. He avoids the temptation to use coercion, reward or positional power to get the people to follow.
Sometimes Christian leaders have good goals, but they try to mandate those goals for their followers. They become authoritarian and demanding, and try to force the people to move toward those goals by brute force. For example, they may try to manipulate the people through guilt, fear, or some form of bribe.
Good leaders, however, envision their constituents. They capture their hearts with a vision of the possibilities of God in their lives. They share a vision that fires the imagination, builds a sense of dedication, and motivates into action.
The leader must give the people a high vision. Not a foolish vision; it should be attainable. It should be realistic and not just be “big talk.” But it should be high. If the people aren’t called to a big vision, they will respond with little commitment. A little vision attracts little commitment. A big vision attracts big commitment. High causes attract high dedication.
Some leaders look longingly at other churches or ministries where the people are accomplishing a lot, and wish that they had people that were as spiritual. In reality, it is a leadership problem, not a people problem.
So often, we set the bar too low. We need to raise the bar. We should not do it in a demanding or coercive way. But we should challenge the people. We should share a vision that we believe they are capable of, and we should tell them that, and then encourage them in various ways to go for it. That’s what attracts big dedication – a big vision; an audacious vision.
If we set a vision of mediocrity before our followers, what do we expect them to do? By our own unbelief, by our own lack of vision, we have actually established a ceiling over our people. We have established limitations on their lives that they may never break through. We must raise expectations. Our people will achieve a lot more in God, if we will raise the bar – if we will raise the vision. We must break out of the bounds of the present and the past, and look into the limitless future.