How Rising Leaders Can Create or Recreate a Vision Statement that Reflects Their Personal Philosophy and Organization's Core Values

As a rising leader, you're stepping into a role of influence and responsibility. 

​One of the most impactful ways you can shape your organization's future is by contributing to, or even recreating, its vision statement. A well-crafted vision statement isn't just a collection of aspirational words; it's a compass guiding your team, a beacon attracting talent, and a foundation for strategic decision-making. But how do you create or revise a vision statement that genuinely reflects your personal philosophy and the organization's core values? This guide will provide a step-by-step approach.

What is a Vision Statement?

Before diving into the 'how,' let's clarify what a vision statement is. A vision statement is a concise declaration of an organization's desired future state. It answers the question: “What do we want to become?” It’s aspirational, inspirational, and long-term focused. Unlike a mission statement, which describes what an organization does, a vision statement outlines what it hopes to achieve.

Why is it Important?

A compelling vision statement provides numerous benefits:

• Direction: It provides a clear path for the organization, ensuring everyone is working towards the same goal.
• Motivation: It inspires employees, church staff members, and stakeholders, fostering a sense of purpose and commitment.
• Alignment: It aligns individual efforts with organizational goals, maximizing efficiency and impact.
• Decision-Making: It serves as a filter for strategic decisions, ensuring they support the overall vision.
• Attraction: It attracts top talent who are drawn to the organization's purpose and values.

In this empowering lesson, I will teach you six steps on how to create or recreate your leadership platform’s vision so your organization thrives.

Step 1: Introspection - Understanding Your Personal Philosophy

The first step is to delve into your own beliefs and values. What drives you? What impact do you want to make on the world? Consider these questions:

• What are your core values? (e.g., integrity, innovation, collaboration, customer focus, social responsibility).
• What are you passionate about? (e.g., solving complex problems, empowering others, creating positive change).
• What do you believe is truly important? (e.g., sustainability, ethical practices, employee well-being).
• What kind of legacy do you want to leave?

Write down your answers. Be honest and specific. This is your personal foundation upon which you'll build your contribution to the vision statement. Don't be afraid to challenge your own assumptions and biases. Consider seeking feedback from trusted colleagues or mentors to gain a broader perspective on your values and how they are perceived by others.

Step 2: Understanding the Organization's Core Values

Next, you need to deeply understand the organization's existing core values. These values should be more than just words on a wall; they should be reflected in the organization's culture, behavior, and decision-making processes. If your organization already has a documented set of core values, analyze them critically. Are they genuinely embraced by your leadership team? Do they align with the organization's actions? If not, this may be an opportunity to suggest a review of those values as part of the visioning process.

• Review existing documentation: Examine the organization's mission statement, values statements, strategic plans, and annual reports.
• Observe organizational culture: Pay attention to how people interact, how decisions are made, and what behaviors are rewarded.
• Talk to staff members: Conduct informal interviews or focus groups to gather their perspectives on the organization's values.
• Analyze past actions: Review past decisions and actions to identify the values that were prioritized.

Step 3: Identifying Overlap and Synergy

Now comes the critical step of identifying the overlap and synergy between your personal philosophy and the organization's core values. Where do your values align with the organization's values? Where might there be opportunities to strengthen or expand upon those values?

• Create a Venn diagram: Visually represent your personal values and the organization's values in a Venn diagram. The overlapping area represents the shared values.
• Identify potential conflicts: Are there any areas where your personal values clash with the organization's values? If so, how can you address these conflicts constructively?
• Look for opportunities to enhance: Are there any personal values that you can bring to the organization that would complement its existing values and enhance its overall effectiveness?

Step 4: Brainstorming and Drafting

With a clear understanding of your personal philosophy and the organization's core values, you can now begin brainstorming and drafting potential vision statements. Remember, the vision statement should be concise, aspirational, and inspiring.

• Gather a diverse group: Assemble a team of individuals within the organization to ensure diverse perspectives.
• Establish guiding principles: Remind the team of the vision statement's purpose, characteristics, and desired outcomes.
• Encourage blue-sky thinking: Generate as many ideas as possible without judgment or criticism.
• Focus on the future: Envision the organization's desired state in 5, 10, or even 20 years.
• Use powerful language: Choose words that are evocative, inspiring, and memorable.

Examples of Effective Vision Statements:

• Disney: To be the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information.
• Microsoft: To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
• IKEA: To create a better everyday life for the many people.
• The Felecia Killings Foundation: To be the premier training center for leaders with a national vision.

Step 5: Refining and Testing

Once you have a few draft vision statements, it's time to refine them and test them with key stakeholders. Ask for feedback and be open to making changes.

• Solicit feedback: Share the draft vision statements with your leadership staff or team members.
• Test for clarity: Is the vision statement easy to understand and remember?
• Test for resonance: Does the vision statement inspire and motivate people?
• Test for alignment: Does the vision statement align with the organization's mission, values, and strategy?
• Iterate and refine: Based on the feedback, revise the vision statement until it resonates with everyone.

Step 6: Communication and Implementation

The final step is to communicate the vision statement effectively and integrate it into the organization's culture and operations. A vision statement is only effective if it is widely understood and embraced.

• Communicate the vision: Share the vision statement through multiple channels, such as company meetings, newsletters, and social media.
• Explain the meaning: Explain the meaning and implications of the vision statement to employees at all levels.
• Incorporate it into training: Include the vision statement in onboarding and training programs.
• Link it to performance: Connect employee performance goals to the vision statement.
• Celebrate successes: Recognize and reward employees who contribute to the achievement of the vision.

Challenges and Considerations

Creating or recreating a vision statement isn't always easy. Be prepared to face some challenges:

• Resistance to change: Some people may be resistant to changing the existing vision statement, especially if they were involved in its creation.
• Conflicting values: It can be challenging to reconcile conflicting personal values with the organization's values.
• Lack of buy-in: If key stakeholders don't buy into the vision statement, it will be difficult to implement effectively.
• Vague language: Avoid using overly vague or generic language that doesn't resonate with people.

Overcoming the Challenges
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• Be transparent and inclusive: Involve stakeholders in the visioning process and be transparent about the reasons for change.
• Find common ground: Focus on the shared values and goals that unite everyone.
• Build consensus: Work to build consensus around the vision statement, even if it requires compromise.
• Use concrete examples: Use concrete examples to illustrate the meaning and implications of the vision statement.

In summary, creating or recreating a vision statement is a powerful way for rising leaders to shape the future of their organizations. By aligning your personal philosophy with the organization's core values, you can create a vision statement that inspires, motivates, and guides your team toward a shared goal. Remember to be introspective, collaborative, and persistent. The result will be worth the effort: a clear, compelling vision that drives success for years to come.

And this is the kind of training I deliver to rising leaders and their team members who have an empowering, God-focused message or service that must be delivered on a national scale using the virtual space.

​This week, The Foundation is hosting open enrollment for new members to join The CCM Leadership Ministry and Academy.

​On the first Saturday of every month, I conduct online group coaching and training to our members using the principles of Conscious Conservatism and my signature training program called Dominating Thought Leadership.

As a recurring member, you will receive:
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• Lifetime access to our premium training;
• Lifetime access to our supportive leadership network;
• Lifetime access to our 10-part Dominating Thought Leadership training materials (manuals, ebooks, workbooks, recorded leadership Zoom calls) at no additional charge (a $1,500 value);
• And lifetime access to our VIP discounts, which include 50% OFF rates to attend our annual CCM Leadership Convention.

Become a member of The CCM Leadership Ministry and Academy today and join us for our next scheduled leadership call this Saturday.

Until next time, Beloved, be blessed.

And as always, let’s grow together!
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• Coach Felecia Killings