Tag: notes

We watched a John Maxwell presentation about “How to Cast a Vision” in school the other night. Here are the notes I took:

1. Clarity bring understanding to vision.
2. Connectedness brings past, present, and future together.
3. Purpose brings direction to a vision.
4. Goals bring target to a vision.
5. Honesty brings integrity to the vision and credibility to the leader.
6. Stories bring relationships to the vision.
7. Challenge brings stretching to the vision.
8. Passion and Conviction are fuel for the vision.
9. Repositioning brings change to a vision.
10. Urgency brings intensity to a vision.
11. Modeling brings accountability to a vision.
12. Strategy brings a process to vision.
In addition, in casting a vision one should share his heart, paint a picture of hope in it’s accomplishment, ask for help, and explain how to help.

There were also some great little quotes he used. Here are a few:

People won’t reach into the future until they’ve touched the past.

Winners stretch to vision, whiners shrink from it.

When challenged, winners say, “Sick-em” and whiners feel sick.

Nothing of value happens in a church until a line is drawn.

When the heat goes up there are two reactions. Whiners leave. Winners become more passionate. If you’re vision is of God and you lose them, you never really had them in the first place. Passion fires up committed and fries the uncommitted.

Those who pay the most for a vision celebrate the most in it’s accomplishment.

Vision is caught more than taught.

Vision = Cause + Courage

The gift a leader gives a congregation is a vision. The gift they give him is it’s fulfillment.

God will send the resources needed according to the size of your vision. The size of a vision is determined by the size of our questions.

People change at three different times: (1) When they hurt enough they have to (2) When they learn enough they want to, and (3) When they receive enough they’re empowered to.

Vision must be seen clearly, spoken of continuously, and communicated creatively.

All this is to say, I really like John Maxwell. Some of his stuff seems really over simplified, but in regards to concepts – probably the simpler the better.

Another aspect which I think is important that he didn’t mention is the biblical foundation for a vision. The example he used (Bill Hybels) was filled with biblical references, but Maxwell mentions nothing of it. In communicating a vision, it seems to me that people are more likely to get behind it if they understand that it is not the leader’s vision, but it is from God.

As the leader, our job is only to point out that which God is among us and already doing so that people can join Him in His efforts. This is how we align ourselves with His vision. If people are able to see how God has already begun a work, (as in Nehemiah 2:18 when he explains to them all that God had done to get things rolling.) it shortens the leap of faith required to just a step of faith.

Maybe we as leaders should spend more time talking about what we already see God doing!?!?