Effective leaders are able to communicate values as well as vision to their team. Read Isaiah 30:1-5.

No leader can guarantee the future but every team member has the right to ask their leader “where are we heading” and “what are the methods we will use to get there.” Every responsible leader should have an answer concerning operational core values and the vision for this month and for the next 3 years.

To truly have influence, a leader must be able to communicate vision and then translate that vision into action. Read John 4:27-35.

Jesus was traveling through a region known as Samaria on His way to Galilee in northern Israel. The people living in Samaria were hated by the Jews because of the way they had twisted God’s commands. Jesus was physically drained from the trip and sent His disciples to purchase some food while He rested near a well. As the disciples were returning with the food they saw Jesus talking with a Samaritan woman, something no Jewish man would ever do. Jesus knew from His conversation with the woman how hungry the people were for spiritual truth and in verse 35 Jesus told His disciples, “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” Jesus’ actions and words communicated a greater vision of His mission statement and His Father’s will to His disciples.

Effective communication is critical for every leader. Read John 3:16-18.

Jesus was able to capture the essence of His mission on earth in approximately 75 words. In fact the first 25 or 26 words of His mission statement have been memorized and can be quoted by millions of Christians even today. Jesus was so effective in the communication of His mission that most people, even those who are not close followers of Jesus, don’t even have to see the actual words but only the reference title of John 3:16 to recall Jesus’ mission. Effective leaders understand the value in developing their communication skills.

When a leader has the respect of their team, their team will accept their vision. Read John 2:1-11.

A number of men, some of whom would eventually become part of His inner circle of 12 Apostles, had joined Jesus in His mission even before His first public miracle at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. These men were committed to Him and left their profession and accompanied Him as He traveled around northern Israel, but, according to verse 11, it was after He turned the water into wine that “His disciples put their faith in Him.” An important leadership principle is, “When a team trusts in a leader’s credibility, they will believe in that leader’s vision.”

The effective leader finds a number of ways to constantly restate the goals and priorities of their mission. Read Luke 15:1-32.

Jesus was clear about His mission. According to Luke 19:10 He came “…to seek and to save what was lost”; those that were separated from God. Jesus found many ways to communicate that goal to the crowds that followed Him, His team, and the religious and political leaders. In Luke 15 Jesus reinforced His mission through three different stories about different situations; the sheep were lost naturally, the coin got lost accidentally, and the son got lost willfully. No matter what created the lost condition, Jesus came to find and help those who were separated from God.