The following contains excerpts from the book, Visioneering (Andy Stanley).
At our music school in Midland, Texas we believe that music is more than sound, it is relationships. The two subjects of Leadership and relationships go hand in hand, and all leadership requires Vision.
This is a book that uses Nehemiah for an outline, highlighting leadership principles derived from the Biblical account of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Stanley introduces the term ‘visioneering’ in his introduction. “Visioneering = Inspiration + Conviction + Action + Determination + Completion.”
He then outlines Vision as the following: Passion, Motivation, Direction, and Purpose. “Vision evokes emotion. There is no such thing as an emotionless vision…Vision-driven people are motivated people. Find me a man or woman who lacks motivation and I’ll show you someone with little or no vision…Maybe the most practical advantage of vision is it sets a direction for our lives. It serves as a road map. In this way, vision simplifies decision making. Anything that moves us toward the realization of our vision gets a green light. Everything else is approached with caution…Vision translates into purpose…Suddenly, you matter. You matter a lot!…A vision makes you an important link between current reality and the future.”
The author differentiates between secular accomplishments and a God-given vision. “You cannot wring enough life or meaning out of secular accomplishment to satisfy your soul. The hole you are trying to fill has an eternal and spiritual dimension that only matters of eternity and spirituality can satisfy. This is why it is imperative that you discover and participate in God’s multi-faceted vision for your life. It is what you were made for. Your homespun visions- as challenging and demanding as they may be- fall short. They will always leave you wondering.”
At our music school in Midland, Texas we accept students of all creeds, and encourage them to pursue their musical growth from a wholesome and comprehensive viewpoint of life and living. We encourage, however, the reader to consider the following Biblical thoughts to find inspiration and insight.
Taking Inventory
“In addition to confirming a vision, investigation serves to further define and focus a vision…Investigation will help you distinguish between a good cause and a God-ordained vision. Investigation will either confirm you vision, focus your vision, or cause you to wonder. If after a thorough survey of the landscape, you come away with a clearer picture of what could be, and a hotter passion for what should be, chances are you have struck gold.”
We help students at our music school in Midland, Texas find and develop their passion by helping them first discover their unique strengths, then adding time-tested core conditioning and discipline to refine those uniqueness and bring them to their fullest expression.
Going Public
“Every compelling vision includes these four components: 1) The problem, 2) The solution, 3) The reason something must be done, and 4) The reason something must be done now.
“In order to share your vision convincingly, you must be able to state the problem you r vision addresses along with a solution to the problem. Furthermore, you must be able to give a compelling reason why something must be done and why it must be done now. Until you can address these four issues clearly and succinctly, you are probably not ready to begin talking about you vision.”
“Can you state your vision or visions succinctly?…This is critical to visioncasting. Whereas a clear explanation of the problem engages the mind, the solution engages the imagination.”
“All divinely inspired visions are in some way tied into God’s master plan…When you finally zero in on why your vision must be accomplished, you will find yourself energized by the mere thought of what you have been called to do. Why translates into urgency and incentive.”
“Once you have made the connection between your vision and God’s charge to you as a believer, your vision will transcend mere circumstances…As what’s most important to you surfaces, one of two things will happen. Either you will realize your vision is, in fact, your vision, not God’s; or you will hit upon a value that is important to your heavenly Father as well. That shared value will serve as the link between what you are attempting to accomplish and what God is up to on a universal scale…Wrestling with the question of why will always lead you back around to your core values. And in many cases it will lead you to some valuable insights about yourself as well as you vision.”
We accept students of all creeds at our music school in Midland, Texas, but we encourage the reader to consider Biblical insights that have led to success throughout the ages.
“Nehemiah did not point to the broken-down walls as evidence that the time was right to rebuild. Instead he focused on God’s intervention on behalf of the people…a divinely authored vision will bear the thumbprint of God before, during, and after the work is completed. What he originates, he orchestrates. It will be evident at some level that this is his vision. It is that divine side of the equation that gives a vision its sense of urgency.”
The Power of Vision
“The most significant visions are not cast by great orators from a stage. They are cast at the bedsides of our children.”
Vision Has Its Price
“There is always risk. There is always a sacrifice. But it is an individual’s willingness to break through the barriers imposed by risk and sacrifice that positions him or her to see what could be become a reality. He who shrinks back from the challenge spends his life wondering.”
“If God has birthed a vision in your heart, the day will come when you will be called upon to make a sacrifice to achieve it. And you will have to make the sacrifice with no guarantee of success.”
“A vision always requires somebody to go first…There is something inauthentic about a man or woman who casts a vision for which he or she is not willing to personally sacrifice.”
“Your heart and your treasure are linked. If you want to know what you are really committed to, look at your checkbook and credit card statements. There is your heart, plain and simple.”
Warding Off Criticism
“Visions are easy to criticize. Visions attract criticism. Visions are difficult to defend against criticism. Vision often die at the hands of the critics…Visions involve two elements that often cause them to draw negative attention: change and gaps.”
“Our natural response to criticism is to defend ourselves. This is especially true when our vision is under attack. We are tempted to begin a dialogue with out critics or with those who are parroting their criticism. Consequently, we waste energy and though trying to answer questions for people who are often not really interested in answers. Without realizing it, our focus begins to shift. Instead of being vision centered, we slowly become critic centered.”
“The only healthy and profitable thing to do is to pour out your heart to your heavenly Father.”
“I have seen people abandon their vision because their plan failed. Failed plans should not be interpreted as a failed vision. Here’s the distinction: A vision is what could and should be. A plan is a guess as to the best way to accomplish the vision…When a plan fails, the vision must be recast.”
At our music school in Midland, Texas we encourage our students to see failure differently than most: failure is not final, it is only fuel for learning and improving. How many times does a baby fall before ultimately walking?
Alignment
“Visions thrive in an environment of unity. They die in an environment of disunity…On a healthy team, team members believe the best about one another. Everybody is innocent until proven guilty.
“When it appears things have worked themselves out, it is usually a case of a problem going underground. And the next time it surfaces, there are more people involved and more issues to resolve.”
At our music school in Midland, Texas we see the potential of each of our students and share our belief in their unique abilities. This casts a vision of hope for the student, but also for the parent to see their child grow and develop. We believe that partnering with the family is critical for the ultimate journey of success.