Creating his own word, Visioneering, Andy Stanley provides an excellent process for finding your own vision and translating that into a leadership context in his revised book Visioneering: Your guide for discovering and maintaining your personal vision (2016, Multnomah).
Stanley is emphatic on the importance of personal vision as a part of leadership. Without having a ‘True North’ perspective, leaders have nothing to guide them through the treacherous waters of leadership. What is particularly of interest is that Stanley does not pull any punches on how difficult the process and maintaining the course can be. Refreshingly he is open about the challenges and provides some guidance on working your way through them.
As the book is written in a Christian context, Stanley draws on scriptural stories to illustrate the Visioneering process. With particular reference to the story of Nehemiah, the author gives a relatable process that is easy to translate into one’s own life and experience.
Stanley does a good job of providing a convincing argument for the importance of vision and aligning one’s personal vision with the organisations.
I found the book to be easy to read without being condescending, and very logical and well organised. I would highly recommend this book for new leaders, or leaders who need to re-calibrate and check they are on course.
Reviewed by Dr Warrick Long, Avondale Business School