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NEWSLETTER 349 - SEPTEMBER 17, 2009
RETHINKING VISION
For years I've been a believer in vision casting. I have written about visionary churches, vision in coaching and leaders with vision. I have thought about God's vision for my life and I've encouraged others to discover their life visions as well. Most writing and teaching in this area has focused on one person finding a vision, then working or inspiring others to turn that vision into reality. This has been central in leadership, coaching and education.
But not any more. Recent years have seen a seismic shift in our perspectives on vision, especially as it relates to leadership. A new book by Jimmy Long calls this The Leadership Jump. Top-down, controlling leadership is fading. No longer can people with titles and power set the agenda and expect everyone else to follow. A new form of leadership has emerged where the leader stimulates ideas and plans but where teams combine their creative ideas to set vision and shape directions together.
I have seen this in teaching. Professors or seminar speakers can compose syllabi and workshop outlines but the learning is best when the students and seminar participants are a part of the planning. Something similar is happening in churches where top-down programming and pastoral control is yielding to groups of believers who have their own inspirations, dreams, ideas and biblical perspectives about how to carry kingdom work forward. In an issue of Leadership Journal (Summer 2009) devoted to "iGens" (the contemporary "isolated generation"), one writer urges ministry leaders to "forget about implementing the church's vision." Instead, leaders need to release control and share influence with others, including those who are younger. This can be one of the most difficult changes for a traditional leader to make.
Visions and vision casting are still relevant and motivating. Leaders, coaches, mentors, and teachers will continue to instill and stimulate visions. What's changing is the shift of control, creativity and ownership from an influential individual to teams. This change in vision and visionary leadership is too far along to reverse. Maybe that's not so bad.
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