Why Vision Must Come Before Goals

If you do not have a vision for your future, how do you know where you are going?

Leadership is about helping people be the best they can be to achieve the results needed. To do that well, leaders need direction.

A vision provides that direction. It is the difference you want to make and the legacy you want to create.

A vision is not a goal. It is the guiding idea that informs values, decisions, goals, and planning as you navigate change.

Being Clear on My Vision

Many years ago, I took part in a 12-month leadership course run by the organisation where I worked. In the first session, we were asked to envision what we wanted our lives to be like in the future.

My mother had recently died at 71, and I was still grieving, so I decided to think about what I wanted my life to be like at 80. It was a long way off, and I wanted to think big, so I figured I would have plenty of time to make the changes I wanted in my life.

The vision was simple: to be a purpose-driven matriarch for my family. I am far from 80, and I can still see this vision clearly. I have made great progress towards it.

Without this vision, I would have made different decisions over the years because of a lack of direction. I believe this because my first 40 years as an adult were about survival, so I wanted my next 40 years to be about thriving.

To thrive, I needed to think differently, bring greater conscious awareness to the decisions and choices I was making, and be more future-focused for myself and my family.

My vision gave me direction during difficult times, helping me make decisions aligned with my values. It also gave me the courage to start my own business after a long career in retail.

I had to ask myself not only what I wanted to do next, but also why it mattered and what difference I wanted to make.

The Compelling Nature of a Vision

A clear vision is compelling because it gives meaning to effort and direction to action.

• What do you want to achieve in life?
• What do you want your business to stand for?
• What legacy or difference will your business make?
• What difference do you want to make for others?

These are big questions worth asking, because being in business, whether it’s your own or someone else’s, is about more than just making money.

Yes, money is essential, and we need it to live the lifestyle we want for ourselves and our families. However, money is an outcome of your work.

A vision needs to be durable. It must hold up under scrutiny and provide a strong foundation for what the business wants to achieve and how it will move towards it.

“Vision is a destination - a fixed point to which we focus all effort. Strategy is a route - an adaptable path to get us where we want to go.”

Simon Sinek

Read more here, starting with A Vision Informs Plans