VISION DRIVEN LEADER (pt.1)

CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION

1. VISION IS A SPIRITUAL MANDATE

“Where there is no vision, the people perish...” – Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)

“If the leader doesn’t know where they’re going, neither will the people.” – Michael Hyatt

  • As spiritual leaders, our people don’t just need management, they need a God-inspired, Spirit-led VISION.
  • Without vision, people lose passion, they have no sense of direction, and they replace their purpose with routine.

    • Exodus 32, when Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people “cast off restraint” and turned to idol worship because they had no clear vision of leadership (Exodus 32:1–6).

    Exodus 32:1-4 NLT - When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”

    2 So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”

    3 All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” 

    • Without a vision, the people will look to idols in their lives to lead them.
    • The people will find a leader, but they need Godly leadership with vision!

    2. THE DANGER OF DRIFT: 3 SIGNS YOU’RE LEADING WITHOUT VISION 

    Based on Chapter 2 – “Without Vision, You’re Drifting”
    “Drift always happens when there is no vision to pull you forward.” – Michael Hyatt

    1. If You’re Reacting, you’re Not Leading
    1 Corinthians 14:8 – “If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?”

    When a leader lacks vision, decisions are made based on what’s urgent, not what’s strategic. You stop leading from the front and start living in reaction mode. You’re always solving problems instead of steering the ship.

  • You’re constantly putting out fires instead of moving toward the future.
  • Time and energy are consumed by the urgent, not the important.
  • You’re constantly working on things that demand your time and attention away from the productive, future goals. 
    • “Visionless leaders become prisoners of the urgent.” 

    Exodus 18 This happened when Moses tried to solve every problem himself. He was reacting to the needs of the people rather than leading toward sustainable structure. Jethro had to step in and say, “What you’re doing is not good.” Vision is what allows you to say no to some things so you can say yes to the right things.


    3. You’re Managing the Past Instead of Creating the Future 

    “Visionless leaders become museum curators—preserving history instead of building legacy.” – Michael Hyatt

    Isaiah 43:18–19 (NIV) – “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”

    When vision is absent, leaders become more focused on maintaining systems than advancing the mission. You become a caretaker of past success rather than a pioneer of future growth.


    Here are some signs that we're falling into this trap:

    • You say things like “This is how we’ve always done it.”
    • You protect existing structures that once worked even if they no longer bear fruit.
    • You feel nostalgic more than innovative.
    • Don’t make the past your ceiling. It should be your foundation.
    • You resist restructuring even though it’s not working because of loyalty to the past.
    • You won’t let go of the old, even if it’s draining resources because it used to be impactful.
    • You hesitate to try new things even though growth is plateauing.

    “What got you here may not be what gets you there. Leaders without vision cling to old blueprints in new seasons.” 

    What area of your life, ministry, or career feels stuck in the past?

    4. You’ve Settled for Incrementalism

    “Incremental improvement is fine... if your goal is mediocrity.” – Michael Hyatt

    Ephesians 3:20 (NLT) – “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

    Without vision, you stop believing for more. You trade breakthroughs for baby steps. This is playing defense instead of offense.

    • But vision awakens your faith to believe God for more than what’s currently visible. 
    • You downplay big dreams because they seem unrealistic or risky.
    • Vision isn’t just about the results, it also has to do with your expectation.
    • What do you believe God can do through your leadership? 

    Ex. Numbers 13 - The 10 spies had realistic expectations: giants were too big, cities too strong. Only Caleb and Joshua had vision-fueled faith.

    • Small vision kept an entire generation in the wilderness.
    • You can't tweak your way into breakthrough!
    • Pray for supernatural downloads to see what God sees, so you can build what God wants you to build.
    • Leaders with small vision will never build big faith in their teams. 

    Question:

    Where have you downsized your vision to match your current capacity?