Leadership Question 1: What is Our Vision and What's Holding Us Back?

Your leadership team spent two full days offsite crafting vision and mission statements. A consultant facilitated. The result: beautifully worded statements now displayed on glossy posters throughout the office. Six months later, you randomly ask employees—from executives to operations staff—if they can recite the vision. Blank stares. Nobody remembers. Most never knew.

This isn't uncommon. It's the norm. According to Gallup research on organizational purpose, only 40% of employees strongly agree that the mission or purpose of their organization makes them feel their job is important. Translation: 60% of your workforce can't connect their daily work to why the organization exists.

The problem isn't the concept of vision—it's the execution and relevance. Statements that should be foundational, guiding culture and focus, often feel generic, hollow, and disconnected from the reality of daily work. They're aspirational platitudes, not operational clarity.

The first of the 7 Leadership Questions in the Waymaker Leadership Curve addresses this directly: "What is our vision, is it driven by our purpose, and what is holding us back from reaching it?" This isn't three separate questions—it's one integrated framework for creating vision that actually drives behavior.

The Problem: Vision as Performance Art

For years, organizations have grappled with what they truly need to articulate identity and goals—often ending up with an array of statements: mission, vision, values, purpose. Consultants were paid vast sums to lead corporations through day-long retreats to produce these statements. Marketing agencies prepared glossy materials displaying these declarations proudly.

Two years later, another consultant would arrive and test if anyone could recall them. Surprise: hardly anyone could.

Why Most Vision Statements Fail

Failure Pattern 1: Generic and Unmemorable

• "To be the leading provider of innovative solutions that deliver exceptional value to stakeholders"
• Could describe any company in any industry
• No emotional resonance, no clarity about what you actually do
• Too long to remember, too vague to inspire

Failure Pattern 2: Disconnected from Purpose

• Vision describes an aspirational future state
• But doesn't connect to the daily purpose that drives toward that state
• Result: Vision feels like fantasy, not achievable destination

Failure Pattern 3: Ignores Barriers

• Vision paints the ideal future
• But never acknowledges what's preventing you from reaching it
• Without barrier awareness, vision becomes wishful thinking
• Teams don't know what to overcome

Failure Pattern 4: No Connection to Action

• Vision exists in strategy documents and posters
• But doesn't inform daily decisions or priorities
• When faced with trade-offs, teams can't use vision as a filter
• Result: Vision is decorative, not functional

The Cost of Unclear Vision

Let's quantify the impact of vision clarity vs. ambiguity:

100-person company with unclear vision:

• Misaligned effort: 25% of work doesn't support strategic direction = 25 FTEs working on wrong priorities
• Decision paralysis: Leaders can't make confident calls without clear vision = 30% slower decision-making
• Talent attrition: Top performers leave because work feels meaningless = 20% higher turnover
• Lost opportunities: Can't recognize strategic opportunities when vision is unclear = Unquantifiable competitive disadvantage

Total annual cost: $2M-$4M in wasted effort, missed opportunities, and talent loss.

Same company with clear, purpose-driven vision:

• Aligned effort toward common goal
• Confident decision-making using vision as filter
• Engaged workforce that sees meaning in daily work
• Ability to recognize and seize strategic opportunities

The difference: Vision clarity creates 40-60% faster strategic execution and 2-3x higher engagement.

Learn more about how questions are more valuable than answers in creating organizational clarity.

What Vision and Purpose Actually Mean

Most organizations confuse vision with mission, purpose with values. Let's define these properly:

Purpose: Something We Do

Purpose = A succinct, memorable statement about what your organization does, framed in relation to the customer's problem. It gives everyone a clear sense of direction by addressing the why.

Purpose is:

• Something we do daily that inches us toward vision
• Grounded in the core problem we solve
• The fuel that moves you toward the destination
• Answers: Why do we exist as an organization?

Example - The Salvation Army: "Save souls, grow saints, serve suffering humanity."

• Clear about what they do (three specific actions)
• Memorable (can be recited after hearing once)
• Connected to the problem they solve (suffering, spiritual need)

Vision: Something We See

Vision = A description of the ultimate end state—an aspirational picture of the future that embodies what you're working toward. It's about the what.

Vision is:

• A picture of the world changed when we achieve our purpose
• The destination that guides daily action and decision-making
• Transformative—describes the change your organization brings to the world
• Answers: What does success ultimately look like?

Example - Oxfam: "A just world without poverty."

• Paints a clear picture (world without poverty)
• Aspirational but understandable
• Connected to their purpose (fighting injustice and poverty)

Key Leadership Principle: Vision as Changed World

A vision is a picture of the world changed when we have achieved our purpose.

The concept of "world changed" means different things depending on the problem your organization solves. Practically, we're speaking about the customer's world—what will be different in their life or work once you've addressed their problem.

An inspirational vision has a unique ability to uplift weary heads and dissolve cynicism. It serves as a guiding star pointing to a better future—a future worth working toward.

But here's the critical distinction: Vision without purpose is wishful thinking. Purpose without vision has no destination.

This article introduces the Vision Canvas framework for answering Leadership Question 1. For complete canvas templates, facilitation guides, and vision development processes for each growth phase, get Resolute by Stuart Leo on Amazon.

Real Vision Examples: What Works

Effective vision and purpose statements share common traits: clarity, simplicity, and the ability to inspire action.

TED

Purpose: "Spreading Ideas." Why it works: Three syllables. Everyone understands what TED does. Every talk, every event connects to spreading ideas.

The Humane Society

Purpose: "Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty." Why it works: Balanced statement. Positive (celebrating) and corrective (confronting). Clear about both what they love and what they fight.

An Aquarium

Purpose: "To inspire conservation of the oceans." Why it works: Beyond "showing fish"—every exhibit serves the purpose of inspiring conservation. Turns entertainment into education.

Livestrong

Purpose: "To inspire and empower people affected by cancer." Why it works: Specific audience (people affected by cancer), clear action (inspire and empower), emotionally resonant.

Facebook (Meta)

Vision: "Give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together." Purpose: "Connect people." Why it works: Simple core purpose (connect) that scales to billions. Vision describes the world changed when connection happens at scale (closer together, community built).

The common thread: Anything great is brief enough to be memorized without trying, yet powerful enough to inspire action.

The Vision Canvas: Creating Clarity from Complexity

The Vision Canvas is a structured framework for answering Leadership Question 1: "What is our vision, is it driven by our purpose, and what is holding us back from reaching it?"

The canvas moves beyond generic vision statements by forcing you to address:

1. Purpose: What we do (the fuel)
2. Vision: What we see (the destination)
3. Barriers: What holds us back (the obstacles)
4. Breakthrough: What changes when we overcome barriers (the transformation)

How the Vision Canvas Works

The canvas uses a divergent-to-convergent thinking process:

Divergent Phase (Explore possibilities widely):

• What are 10 different versions of our long-term vision?
• What barriers exist to each version?
• What would breakthrough look like if we overcome these barriers?
• What assumptions are we making about the future?

Convergent Phase (Synthesize insights into clarity):

• Our vision is [specific future state]
• Driven by our purpose of [what we do daily]
• Held back by [key barrier we must overcome]
• Breakthrough happens when [specific transformation occurs]

Execution Phase (Turn clarity into action):

• Measures: How do we track progress toward vision?
• Milestones: What are the 3-5 major waypoints?
• Ownership: Who is accountable for overcoming barriers?

Real-World Example: Electric Vehicle Startup

Let's see how a company developing affordable off-road electric vehicles would use the Vision Canvas:

Purpose: "Make sustainable off-road adventure accessible to everyone."

• What we do daily: Develop affordable, high-performance electric vehicles
• Why it matters: Adventure shouldn't require environmental compromise

Vision: "A world where off-road enthusiasts explore nature sustainably, preserving it for future generations."

• What we see: Trails filled with quiet, zero-emission vehicles
• Customer's world changed: Can pursue adventure guilt-free

Barriers:

• Cost: EVs currently 40% more expensive than combustion alternatives
• Range anxiety: Limited charging infrastructure in remote areas
• Performance perception: "EVs can't handle real off-road"

Breakthrough:

• When we achieve: $45K price point (vs. $60K+ competitors)
• With: 300km range + partnership with national parks for charging
• Result: Off-road EV adoption increases 10x, demonstrating sustainability and adventure can coexist

Measures:

• Units sold annually (#)
• Customer satisfaction with performance (%)
• Carbon emissions prevented ($equivalent)
• Market penetration in off-road segment (%)

The power of this approach: Everyone in the organization understands the purpose (accessible sustainable adventure), the vision (world changed), and the specific barriers they're working to overcome (cost, range, perception). Decisions become clear: Does this move us toward the vision by overcoming a barrier?

Does Purpose Make a Difference? The Data

Gallup research reveals the gap between purpose-driven organizations and those lacking clarity:

Organizations with clear purpose:

• 27% of employees strongly agree their organization consistently delivers on customer promises
• 46% of B2B customers strongly believe the companies they work with deliver on promises
• 40% of employees feel their job is important because of organizational purpose

Translation: Even organizations WITH purpose struggle to cascade it effectively. Only 4 in 10 employees can connect their work to why the organization exists.

Organizations without clear purpose:

• Decision-making fragmented across silos
• Customer experience inconsistent (no guiding principle)
• Employee engagement chronically low
• Strategic drift as teams pursue conflicting priorities

This is why clarity of purpose and vision matters. Without it, organizations struggle to align internally, leading to unfulfilled promises and demotivated employees.

Research from McKinsey on purpose-driven organizations shows that purpose-driven companies achieve 30% higher levels of innovation and 40% higher levels of workforce retention compared to competitors.

The Three Components: Purpose, Vision, Barriers

Leadership Question 1 integrates three elements that must work together:

1. Purpose: The Daily Driver

What it is: The action we take daily that moves us toward our vision.

Why it matters: Purpose provides the tangible "how" that makes vision achievable. Without purpose, vision is just a dream.

How to define it:

• What problem do we solve for customers?
• What do we do that uniquely addresses this problem?
• Can this be stated in fewer than 10 words?
• Would this guide daily decisions?

Test: Can every employee explain how their work connects to this purpose?

2. Vision: The Destination

What it is: The picture of the world changed when our purpose is fully realized.

Why it matters: Vision provides the destination that justifies the journey. It answers "Where are we going?" and "Why does it matter?"

How to define it:

• What does the customer's world look like when we fully solve their problem?
• What changes at scale when our purpose is achieved?
• Is this aspirational but achievable?
• Does this inspire people to persist through challenges?

Test: When facing difficult trade-offs, does vision help clarify the right path?

3. Barriers: What Holds Us Back

What it is: The specific obstacles preventing us from reaching our vision.

Why it matters: Barrier awareness turns vision from wishful thinking into strategic planning. You can't overcome what you don't acknowledge.

How to define it:

• What's preventing us from reaching the vision right now?
• Which barriers are external (market, technology, regulation)?
• Which barriers are internal (capability, resources, culture)?
• Which barriers, if overcome, would create breakthrough?

Test: Are we actively working to overcome the barriers we've identified?

The integration: Purpose drives daily action → Overcoming barriers → Moves us toward vision → Creates the world changed.

Learn more about how leadership drives toward future state while management executes current state through the 12 Questions framework.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Confusing Lunchbox Goals with Vision

The Problem: Defining vision as "be the biggest" or "sell the most."

Why it fails: These are lunchbox goals—they're good, but not enough to sustain and inspire people on the journey. They don't describe a changed world, just a bigger company.

Example: "Become the #1 CRM provider by 2030"

• This is a target, not a vision
• Doesn't describe customer's world changed
• Doesn't inspire beyond competitive positioning

Better approach: "A world where every business relationship is nurtured through personalized, meaningful interaction"

• Describes customer's world changed
• Inspires beyond market share
• Guides product decisions (what creates meaningful interaction?)

Mistake 2: Purpose Without Vision (No Destination)

The Problem: Clear about what you do daily, but no picture of where it leads.

Example: A consulting firm with purpose "Help businesses improve operations" but no vision of what a world of optimized operations looks like.

Why it fails: Teams work hard without knowing if they're making progress toward anything meaningful. Leads to burnout and cynicism.

Fix: Define the vision that your purpose serves. What does the world look like when all businesses have optimized operations? (Hint: More innovation, less waste, happier employees, stronger economies.)

Mistake 3: Vision Without Purpose (Wishful Thinking)

The Problem: Aspirational vision but no clear connection to daily work.

Example: "Create a world without poverty" but no clear statement of what the organization does daily to achieve this.

Why it fails: Vision feels like fantasy. Employees don't know how their work contributes.

Fix: Define the purpose that drives toward vision. What specific action do you take daily that addresses poverty? (Microloans? Education? Policy advocacy?)

Mistake 4: Ignoring Barriers

The Problem: Stating vision and purpose but never acknowledging obstacles.

Example: Vision of "Revolutionize transportation" without acknowledging barriers like regulation, infrastructure costs, consumer adoption, or technology limitations.

Why it fails: Without barrier awareness, strategy is naive. Teams encounter obstacles they weren't prepared for and become demoralized.

Fix: Use the Vision Canvas to explicitly identify barriers. Develop strategies to overcome them. Build barrier-overcoming into your plan.

From Poster to Practice: Making Vision Operational

Here's the fundamental shift the Vision Canvas creates:

Traditional Approach (vision as decoration):

• Two-day offsite creates vision statement
• Marketing designs posters and branded materials
• Vision mentioned at quarterly all-hands
• Never referenced in daily decision-making
• Employees can't recite it, don't connect work to it

Vision Canvas Approach (vision as filter):

• Vision Canvas completed with leadership team
• Purpose and vision can be recited by everyone
• Barriers explicitly identified and attacked
• Every major decision filtered through: "Does this move us toward vision?"
• Quarterly reviews ask: "Are we overcoming barriers? Is the world changing as we envisioned?"

The difference: Traditional approach optimizes for beautiful words. Vision Canvas optimizes for operational clarity and daily relevance.

In a VUCA world, operational clarity beats eloquent statements every time. A simple vision that everyone understands and uses daily beats a sophisticated vision that nobody remembers.

Practical Application: Creating Your Vision Canvas

Step 1: Define Your Purpose (What We Do)

Ask:

• What problem do we solve for customers?
• What action do we take daily to address this problem?
• Can we state this in fewer than 10 words?
• Would this guide our daily decisions?

Draft 5-10 versions, then converge on the clearest, most memorable.

Step 2: Paint Your Vision (What We See)

Ask:

• What does the customer's world look like when we fully solve their problem?
• What changes at scale when our purpose is achieved?
• Is this aspirational but achievable?
• Does this inspire people to persist through challenges?

Test: Does the vision describe a changed world, not just a bigger company?

Step 3: Identify Barriers (What Holds Us Back)

Ask:

• What's preventing us from reaching the vision right now?
• Which barriers are external vs. internal?
• Which barriers, if overcome, would create breakthrough?
• Are we prepared to address these barriers honestly?

Be specific: "Cost" isn't a barrier. "EVs cost 40% more than combustion vehicles due to battery technology limitations" is a barrier.

Step 4: Define Breakthrough (World Changed)

Ask:

• What specific transformation occurs when we overcome the barriers?
• How is the customer's world different?
• What metrics would indicate this breakthrough has happened?
• What becomes possible that wasn't before?

Connect to purpose: When [barrier overcome], our [purpose] creates [vision].

Step 5: Make It Operational

Communication:

• Share the Vision Canvas with the entire organization
• Ensure every employee can recite purpose and vision
• Explain the barriers and how everyone contributes to overcoming them

Decision-Making:

• Use vision as a filter for strategic decisions
• Ask: "Does this move us toward vision?"
• Ask: "Does this help overcome a key barrier?"

Review Cadence:

• Quarterly: Are we making progress toward vision?
• Quarterly: Are we overcoming barriers or are new ones emerging?
• Annually: Does our vision still reflect where we want to go?

Learn the complete canvas methodology in Clarity Canvases: The Workshop Tool for Strategic Clarity.

Experience the Vision Canvas in Practice

This article introduces Leadership Question 1 and the Vision Canvas framework. For complete canvas templates, facilitation guides for vision workshops, and detailed vision development processes for each organizational growth phase, get Resolute by Stuart Leo on Amazon.

The book provides:

• Complete Vision Canvas template
• Divergent-to-convergent thinking process
• Purpose vs. vision distinction exercises
• Barrier identification frameworks
• Breakthrough definition tools
• Industry-specific vision examples

The result: The capability to create vision and purpose that employees remember, believe, and use to guide daily decisions—turning aspirational statements into operational clarity.

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Vision without purpose is wishful thinking. Purpose without vision has no destination. Barriers without breakthrough keep you stuck. Learn more about the complete 12 Questions framework and explore how vision drives the Leadership Curve.