FROM THE EDITOR
Terry C. Muck
January 1, 1984
According to a survey of LEADERSHIP readers, communicating vision is one of the most frustrating parts of leading a local church. One response to the open-ended question "What is the greatest single problem you face in training your lay leaders?" was "Teaching Christians the vision of a Christlike life." It's also a task young pastors feel poorly equipped to handle. In a comprehensive 1982 study, one major seminary found its alumni felt least prepared in their ability to get people working together toward a common goal. Apparently putting the vision in a form that inspires and energizes is a major hurdle. Failure to communicate the vision can lead to disaster. Imagine people going to work day after day without knowing their company's business-yet that's exactly what happens when church members don't know what their church is trying to do. At the least, such ignorance can lead to mindless religiosity. Philosopher George Santayana noted that "fanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim." But worse than fanaticism, failure to communicate the vision can lead to destruction. Jeremiah told the Israelites that Judah would be destroyed because the prophets "prophesy of visions . . . they have never seen nor heard; they speak foolishness concocted out of their own lying hearts" (14:14). The importance of leadership communicating vision has not escaped modern business organizations. But management literature doesn't supply very satisfactory answers about how to do it. Books concur that communicating the beliefs, purposes, and goals of a corporation to employees is essential, but the skill itself remains intangible. One fact they agree upon: leaders who effectively communicate goals to their followers ...
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