Feature - Leadership and Vision

By Timothy A. Edward

Look at leaders. They are usually full of ideas - innovative, creative, inspiring, motivating ideas. Ideas that benefit businesses, organisations, and communities. Ideas that solve problems, get things done, and move people forward.

But have you ever wondered where these life-changing ideas come from? Most of the time, they spring from within - from a clear vision leaders carry in their hearts about the future. That vision propels them forward, no matter the challenges or hardships.

As leaders called to serve in different capacities, we must ask ourselves: are we giving hope to those who look up to us? To give hope, we need a vision that is not self-serving. Leadership is not about using people to fulfill our own plans. True leadership is about serving others, helping them reach their potential, and supporting them in their dreams. And as we lift others, we too rise higher in our own leadership journey.

What Shapes Leadership

We know there are different leadership styles. Our preferred style is often shaped by two major factors:

1. Childhood experiences and the influence of leadership figures we encountered while growing up.

2. Our perspectives on important issues, which are influenced by what we believe, the books we read, and the things we watch. For example, television and social media can strongly shape our outlook.

Lessons from Farmers

Leaders can learn powerful lessons from farmers. Whether smallholder or large-scale, farmers share a few things in common. They carry a vision of the harvest in their hearts. They sow seeds with faith and hope, even when they cannot see the harvest. They water and nurture the soil when there is no evidence of growth. They trust the law of sowing and reaping.

Eventually, a blade of grass breaks through the ground, slowly growing into a crop that becomes a great harvest. And even then, farmers prepare themselves for the harvest ahead.

Vision for Leaders

Like farmers, leaders must hold a vision of the harvest in their hearts. We must sow words of faith and hope into the lives of our followers, into our businesses, and into our communities. We must remind people that the future is going to be bright - that the coming years can be their best yet.

At the same time, we must prepare structures to ensure that the harvest - whether profits or success - is shared. Leadership means redistributing blessings to uplift desolate communities and support worthy causes.

So, in essence, Leadership is vision, hope, and service. It is about sowing faithfully, nurturing patiently, and preparing wisely - so that both leaders and those they serve can rise together.