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Archives For Vision

Clarify Your Vision By Asking the Right Questions

August 29, 2012 - Mac Lake - Leadership, Vision
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I was walking along the beach in Carlsbad the other day praying about God’s Vision for LAUNCH.  As I asked God to open the eyes of my mind to see His vision I sensed Him saying, “Ask the right questions and I will show you the answers.”

This makes sense; think about it.  In Exodus 3 when God gave His vision for delivering the Hebrew people from Egypt Moses immediately began to ask questions.  And the more he asked the more clarity God gave him. This reminds me that vision is not a one-time communication from God, but an on-going conversation with God. Here is the list of questions that flooded into my mind that morning on the beach.  I spent a couple of hours the next day on the plane thinking these through and gained amazing clarity as I prayed, processed and captured the answers.  I hope they help you refine your vision as well.

  • What Scriptures are central to our mission and how do they inform or inspire our vision?
  • If we were able to maximize our mission to the fullest potential what would the outcome look like?
  • What opportunities do we have to innovate new ideas, products or processes?
  • What is the unique niche God has given us in our industry? What do we need to do to steward that well?
  • In what way does the giftedness of the key individuals in our organization inform us about God’s future for us?
  • What outcomes do we want to see over the next 12 months?  Three years?  Five years?
  • In what ways will our “product” change over the next three years? Are there new products we will produce over the next three years?
  • What are the biggest opportunities in front of us that we need to seize?
  • What are the “hidden” assets that are within our reach that we are not capitalizing on?
  • Who do I need to meet with in the next 90 days?  In what way can they add value to my thinking or add value to our vision?
  • How will our industry be changing over the next 5 years and what adjustments do we need to be thinking about now?
  • What are the top 3 most important things we can do in the next 90 days that will impact our bottom line over the next 12 months?
  • What do we want to be said about our organization 20 years from now?  What footprint do we want to leave on our industry?

What questions would you add?

Do Great Things

September 19, 2011 - Mac Lake - Creativity, Personal Growth, Vision
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Ideas have the power to change an organization, change a life and change the world.

  • Think about a song that’s moved your heart closer to God.
  • Think about a resource that helped you achieve greater results.
  • Think about a book that shaped your values and character.
  • Think about a church that’s transformed your life.

All of us have encountered things that have significantly changed the course of our life.  But think about it…those things that changed us, added value to, challenged, or shaped us… didn’t always exist.  There was a point in time when someone, somewhere had a thought…an idea.  In that moment God touched their mind with inspiration and they said to themselves, “What if?”  And then a God inspired idea was born.

Often in those moments a battle takes place in our mind.  Right on the heels of inspiration comes the temptation to doubt the ideas legitimacy.  Our minds race with thoughts like, “This is crazy”, “I can’t do this”, “what will other people think” or “this is impossible.” But don’t forget sometimes great ideas require great risk and great sacrifice.

Somewhere in your heart there’s a passion, a gifting, a calling to do something great.  Don’t ignore it because the world needs more great songs, great books, great resources and great churches.

We follow a great God, so attempt great things.

Vision + Values = Organizational Strength

August 2, 2010 - Mac Lake - Leadership, Values, Vision
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When executed properly core values define the way a company operates, gives clarity for decision making and assures greater engagement of employees.  However most leaders invest all their energies on vision and tend to neglect values.

Leaders love to think, dream and inspire people to pursue a better future.  While this type of visioning is essential for organizational direction, if the leader doesn’t provide a clear set of values it may be difficult to achieve the desired outcomes. Having a clear vision doesn’t ensure the necessary behaviors to achieve that vision. That’s why it’s essential the leader invest as enthusiastically in values as he does in the vision.  There may be a great vision but if the people in the organization don’t operate according to a unified set of values they will find themselves unable to move forward in a productive way.

What are the essential core values for your organization?  How well are those demonstrated in the attitudes and actions of the leaders in your organization?