Issue #91, September 26, 2012
Leaders are people who see and have the ability to stir passion and action from others with a shared picture of the future. Servant leaders inspire groups to move towards God’s ideal for the future. They see the vision and share it with others. Because of this the Old Testament prophets who saw God’s picture of the future were sometimes called ‘seers.’ Paul was a servant leader who saw a vision and inspired others to share it with him.
Examine Paul’s example of inspiring a shared vision.
Paul rec’d a vision at the time of his dramatic conversion and his life was forever altered. But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel (Acts 9:15). Paul immediately began to work hard to pursue the vision and quickly made a significant impact. His hard work could have made him a successful person, but not an exemplary leader. Leaders share the vision with others and inspire them to act as well. Paul understood this and quickly began to share his vision with others. With time he built around himself a team of people who shared this vision and would work with him to carry it out. He involved churches who supported his work and provided regular reports to them about his progress towards the vision. By sharing his vision with a team Paul ensured that God’s vision would continue long after his own death. Paul never wavered in the pursuit of his vision. He was so effective at inspiring a shared vision in written form that today we join with him to carry the gospel to those who have not yet heard. His shared vision continues to impact the world. He invested his life in sharing the vision and the results speak for themselves.
Understand the power of inspiring a shared vision.
Vision is powerful because it looks ahead to the future in a way that provides direction and motivation for the present. It generates energy in a group. The power of leadership is to bring synergy to a group that enables them to move forward together. Without direction, people will wander around aimlessly. “Where there is no revelation {or vision}, the people cast off restraint…” (Proverbs 29:18). Casting off ‘restraint’ is also translated ‘uncontrolled’ and means to live without direction. Servant leaders understand that without shared vision the group they lead will not accomplish a fraction of what God intended for them to do. But when vision that is shared with all members of the group it will bring focus, direction, synergy, energy and passion. A focused group will always accomplish much more than energized individuals.
Accept the call to inspire a shared vision.
Servant leaders recognize the power of a shared vision and follow Paul’s example to inspire a shared vision with their followers. They don’t move until they see it. They seek God’s heart for vision, not their own dreams and ambitions. They allow the vision to deeply impact their own hearts and to stir passion within them. They are willing to invest their own lives, energy and resources to accomplish the vision. But as servants, they also recognize their own limitations and acknowledge that God has entrusted them both with a vision and a group to lead. This might be their business, a church group, a family, community or students in a classroom. The vision from God is not just a personal vision, it is meant to be shared with others. Servant leaders involve others in the vision process, they share it. They share it carefully, confidently and continuously. They stir passion in the hearts of those around them as they call the group to accomplish together what none of them could dream of doing alone. And they do it in a way that ensures that God receives the glory for all that happens.
For further reflection and discussion:
- In my context, what does the group expect from the leader in terms of their own involvement in shaping the vision? How does this impact the way I lead?
- Do I have a clear vision of what God wants for my group? If so, what is it? If not, why not and how will I find it?
- Have I communicated the vision clearly to my group?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how passionate is my group about the vision? What do I need to do to help them move to a higher level of passion?
- Do I repeat the vision often enough and clearly enough to keep the passion level high? Have I shared stories of the impact our effort is having?