By J.K. Warrick
“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals,
they are most blessed” (Proverbs 29:18, MSG).
Leaders lead through vision casting. It is the leader’s responsibility to help others see what God is up to and how they can partner with Him in what He is doing. From Proverbs 29:18 we learn that, “if people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves.” Another translation suggests that where there is no vision (direction) the people go their own way. It is too true!
I am indebted to Doug Carter for a very helpful word about leadership and vision casting. He simplifies it for us in this acrostic:
L – lay out the vision
E – explain the strategy
A – ask them to invest
D – deliver what is promised
To lead, then, is to help people understand where they need to go, show a way to get there, ask people to join the effort, and deliver on what is promised. In this context leading is not coercing people into surrender; rather, leading is to ignite the imaginations of others with the promises and purposes of God.
I heard a pastor say that change generally moves at the “pace of our relationships.” That is true of leadership as well. For the leader to cast a vision, he or she must have “seen” something that others cannot see and must have the confidence of those who follow.
Two workers were standing in the middle of Walt Disney World when one turned to the other and said, “Too bad Walt Disney didn’t live to see all of this.” The other replied, “He did see it. That’s why it is here.”
What have you “seen” that others do not see? If you cannot “see” it, you cannot bring it to pass!
