What I’ve Been Reading: The Vision Driven Leader

Michael Hyatt’s new book entitled The Vision Driven Leader helps readers understand the importance of vision for everyday life. Vision often seems like an elusive and mystical entity about which leadership guru’s write. In actuality, vision is that which ultimately directs our everyday plans. That is why, according to Hyatt, vision is the most important task on a leader’s task list (27).

Hyatt observes that vision has a clarifying effect for all of life. Vision helps us avoid strategic missteps and failures. He writes: “When we’re unclear about our destination, we tend to make short-range decisions, pursuing whatever opportunities look good in the moment” (45). When it comes to thinking of the future many people, even many Christians, are filled with apprehension. Hyatt cautions: “We tend to experience what we expect” (69). He isn’t suggesting that positive thinking alone can determine our future just that a future full of progress won’t come without vision.

Hyatt gives some practical recommendations about formulating a vision which he calls a vision script. First, the vision must be clear. Second, our vision must inspire others to take action with us. Hyatt warns against leaders getting too consumed with the particulars of strategy without definitely clearly where they wanted to go. He helpfully observes that the right vision will enable us to find the right strategy (106). Third, Hyatt teaches that vision must be practical, it must be something we can take action towards. Fourth, Hyatt teaches how to bring the vision to others and get their buy-in.

In the final section of the book, Hyatt talks about dealing with the challenges to implementing vision. Hyatt shows how leading people toward vision requires tenacity, personal integrity, and the courage to stand against the tide that often moves organizations back toward the status quo. Hyatt, using many illustrations from the business world, demonstrates how organizations need to continually reframe their vision so that they can stay on offense.

This book provides inspiration for the leader at any level. Hyatt is practical and gives the reader the tools to put his suggestions into application in daily leadership. The book helpfully corrects those of us who can get bogged down too many times in questions of strategy. Hyatt also provides useful ideas about communicating vision and some of the pitfalls leaders face along with way. Any leader would benefit from reading this book. As Proverbs 29:18 says: “Where there is no vision the people perish.”