Leading With Purpose – How Vision Drives Leadership

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

As a businessperson, you are unlikely to spend many days not reading, thinking about, or discussing leadership. It may be about your internal management or maybe even your company itself. The same holds if you are an employee working to perfect your leadership identity and skills. 

Leadership Styles

Leadership is an important and complex subject that has been studied, trained, mentored, and motivated for years. It comes in various styles, from traditional to modern, and includes a few lesser-known styles. In an article in Forbes Advisor, Dana Miranda identifies the 10 Management Styles of Effective Leaders. It is important to note that no leadership style is universally superior to another. The style often depends on specific situations or characteristics of your team. Effective leaders are often able to adapt their style to fit different situations.

Understanding Leadership

There are countless well-written books and articles on leadership available by qualified professionals. Leadership books by well-known authors such as John C Maxwell, Ken Blanchard, and Evan Hackel provide concise insights that may not be found elsewhere.

There is not much that I can add that has yet to be said. However, I have thoughts on how an organization positions itself and its leadership for success.

The Pillars of Leadership

I believe “leadership” is an overused term that risks becoming generic. Many people want to be seen as leaders without truly understanding what it is, what it means, or how it’s earned. Leadership isn’t just one thing – it’s not just about having certain qualities, talents, styles, or insights. Those are all important but are just part of the whole picture. Leadership is deeply linked to mission, vision, values, and purpose. Without these, you’re just a “boss” on the management ladder, and sustainable success at that level is close to zero.

Understanding a company’s mission, vision, values, and purpose is not just a theoretical exercise. These elements are the keys to the success of a business and its leadership. These are not just words on a page; they are actionable principles that guide every decision and action. The mission leads the organization daily, the vision provides the long-term direction, and the values shape the behaviors of every person connected to the organization.

The generally accepted order for creating mission, vision, values, and purpose statements is:

Purpose

• The purpose is the fundamental reason that an organization exists. It extends beyond making a profit and is, in most cases, as important as goals. It expresses the organization’s commitment to creating a meaningful impact and provides all stakeholders with direction and motivation. Purpose answers the question: “Why do we exist?” It influences all strategic decisions and actions within the organization.

Vision

• The vision statement describes what the organization wants to be. Ultimately, it answers the question, “What do we aspire to become?”  It is inspirational and forward-looking, providing a long-term goal for the organization. The vision reflects the ideal future the organization wants to achieve.

Values

• Core values are the fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that shape an organization’s culture, behavior, and decision-making. Core values are essential in establishing personal and organizational ethics and actions and, more often than not, reflected in the vision statement.

Mission

• The mission statement defines the organization’s purpose, core activities, and target market. It answers the question, “Why do we exist?” A mission statement is action-oriented and describes what the organization does, who it serves, and how it does it.

The Importance of Vision

Vision plays a special role in these statements as it clearly shows where the organization wants to go. While the mission explains what the company is doing now, and its purpose answers why it is doing it, the vision focuses on what it aims to become. Vision shapes a company’s path forward, how it connects with mission and purpose, and why it’s important for inspiring everyone to work together toward a shared goal.

Put it All Together

The order in which statements are created is not important. They may vary depending on the individual business and its unique circumstances. It is important to consider and understand the interconnectedness of these elements. Ensure that they align with each other and support the overall goals and objectives of the business.

Leadership is not just about adopting a particular style or following guidelines. It’s about understanding your organization’s mission, vision, values, and purpose and aligning your leadership approach with these elements. It doesn’t matter if you are leading a team or honing your skills as an employee; recognizing the importance of these guiding principles will set you and your company up for success. Leadership is earned through thoughtful action, not just titles, and true leaders inspire and guide their teams toward a shared future.

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