Getting Clarity in Leadership

Introduction

• Importance of clarity in four main areas for leaders.
• Applicable to any organization: teams, churches, etc.

Four Key Areas of Clarity

1. Mission

• Purpose: Answers "Why do we exist?" and "What are we here for?"
• Communication: Should be clear both internally and externally.
  • Internally: Within the organization.
  • Externally: Customers and the outside world.
• Characteristics: Short, sweet, easy to understand, descriptive.
• Resources: Additional resources provided for crafting a mission statement.

2. Vision

• Purpose: Answers "Where are we going?"
• Relation to Mission: Should be contained within the mission.
• Time Frame: Typically a 3 to 5-year outlook.
• Audience: Can be an internal statement, known primarily by the team.
• Goal: Articulates future direction and goals for the next few years.

3. Values

• Purpose: Answers "What do we care about?"
• Role: Guiding principles and boundaries for achieving the vision.
• Discussion: Can be seen as either containing the mission or contained within the mission.

4. Strategy

• Purpose: Answers "How will we get there?"
• Details: Specifies tools, training, and actions to move from current to future state.
• Relation to Vision and Mission: Aligns with achieving both the vision and the mission.

Conclusion

• Encouragement to use the resources provided to discuss clarity within the leadership team.
• Importance of ensuring everyone in the organization understands these four areas.

Suggested Action

• Have a conversation with your leadership team or organization to clarify these elements.