The Voice of Vision

By Sam Chand

We are in the middle of the most astounding acceleration of communication the world has ever known. In only a few decades, payphones have vanished from airports, letters are seldom mailed and in-depth research requires only a few clicks instead of countless hours in the library. We can be instantly in touch with billions of people and millions of websites. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the onslaught of change, and the pace, if anything, is getting even faster.

Virtually all of us have tapped into these new resources to connect with our people. We use email and direct messaging; we create YouTube videos and podcasts and put our messages online so people can learn and worship at any time and anywhere. We don’t have to wait to get in touch with people on our teams, and we have a world of research for our message prep at our fingertips. We’ve become, at least to a large degree, masters of new technology, but artificial intelligence is opening new doors to an exciting and challenging future, and we have no idea where it will take us.

After the recent global events, we’ve come back strong. Our numbers are up, we’re reaching more people and our finances have stabilized. In the whirlwind of recovering from a couple of years of crisis management, learning to use technology in new ways and seeing God grow our churches, it’s tempting to take a breather . . . a long breather. After all, we’ve earned it. We deserve it.

However, as leadership experts point out, “Success breeds complacency, complacency breeds failure.” They say, “Becoming a successful CEO [or senior leader] is hard, but staying successful is even harder.” For example, within 15 years, more than half of one year’s Fortune 500 companies went bankrupt, were acquired or ceased to exist.¹ In times of success, our voices of vision, hope, faith and love must be clearer and stronger than ever.

What does the voice of vision sound like? Leaders who continually communicate with a powerful, attractive, visionary voice . . .

Create a cohesive culture. They value the contributions of each person. As Paul described the body of Christ, those who are often overlooked deserve “greater honor”:

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it (1 Corinthians 12:21-26).

Before you start a meeting, take a minute to scan the room mentally. Identify those who are often overlooked but are faithful, and when the meeting begins, talk about what their contributions mean to you, the team and the organization.

On the other hand, a cohesive culture isn’t one that never has tension or conflict; it’s one that has learned to address relational problems with wisdom, grace and truth. Yes, it’s uncomfortable, and yes, it takes time, but trust is the glue in any relationship, and strained or broken trust kills the culture. Healthy, respectful disagreements often surface new and more effective ideas.

When you sense disagreement is on the horizon, it might be wise to preface the discussion by saying, “I want us to disagree agreeably. After all, we want the same outcomes: People are encouraged, our work is done well and God is honored. Let’s start there and see where our conversation takes us.”

Celebrate creativity. God made us inherently creative. We express it differently, but each of us is created in the image of the God of infinite creativity.

Secure leaders never respond to an idea by saying, “That just won’t work,” or “That’s not how we do things around here.” A fresh idea may not work, but it may light a match that ignites a concept that proves incredibly successful. And if a creative idea doesn’t instantly fit with existing programs and policies, it doesn’t mean it’s wrong or irrelevant.

Good leaders respond, “Tell me more of what you’re thinking,” and they listen. The act of listening—whether the innovative concept is implemented, altered or put on the shelf—affirms the person and tells the team that you celebrate their creativity.

Renovate systems. The policies, procedures and people who got you here aren’t necessarily the ones who will get you there. We tend to have tunnel vision—seeing that the only possibilities are the ones we’ve already been implementing. During the period of uncertainty, chaos and imminent change, analyze what’s working well, what’s barely adequate and what’s holding you back.

Talk to people who have dared to make necessary changes, read books and articles and carefully plan the transitions. Put your best people in crucial roles, including those who are new to the revamped system. You may uncover passions and skills in your people you had no idea existed.

Have a voice that blends boldness and humility. Not one or the other, but both. Some leaders are bold but not humble—they lead by impressing people with their talents and sometimes intimidating them so they get their way. Other leaders are humble but not bold—they’re approachable and kind, but their people are confused by the lack of clear direction. In an article from his book Good to Great, Jim Collins explains that his team of researchers were surprised by the qualities of the best leaders they studied. They called them “Level 5 Leaders.” Collins notes:

Level 5 leaders are a study in duality: modest and willful, shy and fearless. To grasp this concept, consider Abraham Lincoln, who never let his ego get in the way of his ambition to create an enduring great nation. Author Henry Adams called him “a quiet, peaceful, shy figure.” But those who thought Lincoln’s understated manner signaled weakness in the man found themselves terribly mistaken—to the scale of 250,000 Confederate and 360,000 Union lives, including Lincoln’s own. It might be a stretch to compare the 11 Level 5 CEOs in our research to Lincoln, but they did display the same kind of duality.

Collins’ team identified the powerful blend as “personal humility and professional will.” The duality includes:

Personal humility: Demonstrates a compelling modesty, shunning public adulation, never boastful.

Professional will: Creates superb results, a clear catalyst in the transition from good to great.

Personal humility: Acts with quiet, calm determination; relies principally on inspired standards, not inspiring charisma, to motivate.

Professional will: Demonstrates an unwavering resolve to do whatever must be done to produce the best long-term results, no matter how difficult.²

Even if I’ve never met you, I know you want to be that kind of leader—or you wouldn’t be reading this article! Craft your voice of vision so your message inspires and directs people throughout your organization.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS

I’m always amazed at the power of words. In the opening lines of the Bible, we see that everything, “all that is,” exists because “God said . . .” His words separated light from darkness, created matter from nothing and brought order to chaos. Our words can’t bring a universe into existence, but they still have awesome power. Solomon reminds us, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21). James, the half-brother of Jesus, explained that grace in action requires that we use our voices for good. He describes its power:

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.

And he warns,

Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. . . . It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:3-6,8).

We need God’s wisdom to use our voices for good. James reminds us, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:17-18).

Our words and hearts are closely connected and affect each other. In one passage, James says the condition of our hearts determines the words that come from our mouths, and in another, he says our words recoil back and affect our hearts. So, we need to be aware that the messages that come from our lips demonstrate what’s going on inside us, yet we have the authority and responsibility to choose our words.

There are three primary audiences for our voices:

We hear voices from within—sometimes conflicting voices of the affirming Holy Spirit and the harsh inner critic.

We, I hope, share our voices with others to build them up.

We speak the voice of vision and hope over our families, friends, congregations and communities.

Proximity amplifies the power of our voice. We can’t be close to everyone, but we must make our voices count with those in our inner circle. The three most powerful messages I’ve ever been told, and the ones I try to speak to others, are:

“I love you,”

“I believe in you,” and

“I’ll be there for you.”

I’ve had the great pleasure to speak words of hope and confidence into others’ lives, one of whom seemed like a most unlikely recipient. When I was president of Beulah Heights Bible College, Benson Karanja was hired as a janitor, a role that is almost always taken for granted and the person overlooked. But I saw something in Benson, so I introduced him to other executives and gave him honor in their eyes. I enlarged his world by connecting him to people outside his comfort zone.

Everyone stands under the same sky, but not all have the same horizon. I wanted to give Benson a wider, grander vision of what he could become. He began to gain confidence. His optimism, humility, dedication and intelligence impressed me in every interaction. I promoted him from janitor to library assistant, to head librarian, to accountant as one of our administrators, to professor, to director of student affairs, to vice president, to executive vice president and finally, to college president. During these stages, he studied hard and earned multiple degrees.

From the beginning, I observed Benson’s powerfully positive impact on others. It didn’t take long to develop a glowing opinion of him, and this opinion grew even stronger over the years. At every turn, I looked for opportunities for him to have a broader, deeper impact on the faculty, staff and students. I opened many doors for him because he earned my trust and confidence.

MY VOICE TO ALL LEADERS

In the summer of 1980, I had just been selected as the pastor of my first church in Hartford, Michigan, a little town with one red light. Soon after Brenda and I moved in, I went to our denomination’s regional conference in Ohio. The conference leader was Bishop Chester Miller, a highly respected man who had been a missionary in Brazil. He was soft-spoken, and his demeanor was gentle. At one point between meetings, I saw him across the campus. I ran over to him and said excitedly, “Bishop Miller, have you heard? I’ve just been elected as the pastor of a church in Hartford, Michigan!”

He smiled and told me, “Yes, Brother Sam. I heard the news. Congratulations.”

I was ready to hear some deep, godly wisdom. I could hardly contain myself. “Bishop Miller, if you could give me one piece of advice, what would it be?” I asked him.

I fully expected him to give me God’s direction for my life and ministry, maybe start this program or learn from that leader. But when he spoke, I was deeply disappointed. On the hot sidewalk, as we stood in the August sun, he didn’t even look me in the eye when he said softly, “Brother Sam, live long, live clean.” He walked away.

At that moment, I thought his advice was mud, but over the years, I’ve found it to be pure gold. When I’m tempted, I hear the voice of Bishop Chester Miller. When it would be easier to cut corners on my preparation for a talk, I hear the voice of Bishop Miller. When there’s an opportunity to overlook an ethical consideration, I hear the bishop’s voice. When others gossip, and I want to join in, I hear Bishop Miller’s voice. “Live long, live clean.”

The conversation at the conference lasted only a minute, and it happened decades ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. It has shaped my life, and it has shaped my voice. What voices are making a difference in you today? Which ones speak life, and which ones speak death?

What is your voice in the lives of those around you? You have the high privilege and deep responsibility to use your voice for good. What are you saying to “warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:14)? Each moment is a God-ordained opportunity to use your voice to bring hope to the hopeless and challenge to those eager to make a difference.

Most importantly, who needs to hear your voice?