A vision statement is extremely important for leaders to keep their followers motivated. A well-formulated vision inspires others beyond their duties by creating a picture of the positive and uplifting future (Parkay et al., 2019). There are six key areas of vision that help to keep the followers motivated. All these traits can be found in the words of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Mark. First, the leader needs to know his purpose. The purpose of the Son of God was to lead all the sinners to God. This was explicitly seen when He raised a dead girl in Mark 5:21-43. He said to the mother of the girl not be afraid and believe, which demonstrated his purpose. Second, leaders should know what they need to accomplish. Jesus knew what he needed to accomplish to lead the people back to the Lord. He established his credibility as a teacher and the Son of God by doing wonders, like restoring a demon-possessed man in Gerasenes, which was described in Mark 5:1-20.
Third, leaders are to be aware of where their values lie. Jesus knew what was valuable for God and was inadmissible. This was demonstrated when he said “whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother (Mark 3:35, New International Version). This implies that he did not value his relatives if they chose to turn their backs to God. Fourth, a true leader knows how his purpose can benefit others. Jesus said, “whoever loses their lives for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35, New International Version). This explicitly demonstrates the benefits of His followers. Fifth, the leader needs to know the means to accomplish his goals. Jesus showed everyone that he knew how to perform miracles, which he demonstrated throughout the Gospel of Mark. Finally, the leader knows how to delegate his responsibilities. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells Simon and Andrew that He will send them out to “fish for people” (Mark 1:16, New International Version). This implies that he was ready to make the fishermen his representatives that could continue his purpose even he is gone. In Mark 3:7-12, Jesus appoints 12 apostles, which also confirms that he was ready to share his duties with close followers.
Unfortunately, in my organization, we do not have a vision statement. This implies that we do not have a unified purpose, which may divert the educators in different directions. I believe that our organization should have at least a short vision statement that reflects the values of the organization. I think the statement should be “to provide equal opportunity for every child to accomplish his dream.” This statement would emphasize that the core idea is not to give children all the knowledge they can take but help them learn what is important for them. Such a vision will focus on the children instead of focusing on the teachers and the organization. While the statement will inspire educators to focus on the students, it will also challenge them to improve to provide equal opportunity for everyone.
Reference
Parkay, F. W., Anctil, E. J., & Hass, G. (2019). Curriculum leadership: Readings for developing quality educational programs (10th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.