Educational leadership with a vision

Community College Enterprise, The, Fall 2006 by Calder, Wm Berry

By answering one fundamental question-"What will success look like?"-an educational institution has begun a process of defining its vision. It is undeniable that an institution will ever be greater than its dream; therefore, what is needed first and foremost is an articulated vision to propel an educational institution into a preferred future. Unguided by a powerful vision, educational leaders are more likely to falter and therefore must have a cogent vision for their institution, for it offers a tremendous competitive advantage aver others that operate without one.

Not much happens without a dream... but the dream must be there first.

- Robert Greenleaf (2001)

AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION and its leaders must know what path they are on-their missionand where this path is taking them-their vision. When both mission and vision are clearly articulated, most day-to-day issues and challenges are seen from a higher level, which is the bigger picture, and can leverage a tremendous competitive advantage over others that operate without one.

Changes within an institution often lead to a reassessment of its values, vision, and mission. These changes may be in the leadership, such as a new board, president, or other senior officials; in the legislation that defines its mandate; or possibly in terms of the institution's long term sustainability, especially with its current program offerings. Re-evaluation of its values, its vision, and its purpose or mission is the foundation for any strategic planning processes. If a strategic plan is the "blueprint" for an institution, then the vision is the "artist's rendering" of the achievement of that strategic plan. A vision points the way to a preferred future, which can inspire a board and staff to greater educational achievements. Vision statements describe people and organizations not as they are, but as they desire to become.

Education is built on positive visions for the future. A vision answers the question of how the institution sees future possibilities for students, itself, and the community that it serves. Whether a vision is, for example, "to make learning an exciting experience, which inspires learners to reach their full potential as life-long learners" or possibly "to establish a learning community that transforms and enriches people's lives" or perhaps "to create a positive environment for students to learn more about themselves and the world around them," the dream behind that vision stands as a powerful institutional ideal. To be more effective, educational leaders must invest time and effort in "selling" the vision to gain buy-in. A vision must be communicated in and outside the institution in order to inspire and motivate stakeholders to willingly contribute their valuable resources to enable realization of the vision. A vision then is a mental picture of what lies at the end of a road never traveled before and conveys the future status of the institution after the journey, for example, in terms of its graduates, services to the community, customers, market share of applicants, financial sustainability, and recognition by others.

Uniqueness of a vision and mission

The assertion "words have no meaning; people do" certainly applies to any discussion about a vision. However, the term "vision" needs clarification among those individuals who use it. Even with the best of intentions, educators can easily confuse vision and mission statements. The vision is broad in its scope and not restricting in any way. For example, a vision may be "to become a community of learners." However, when one looks at the mission, it should answer one fundamental question: "What is the institution going to do about its vision?" (Calder, 2002, p. 51). A mission and vision together provide direction for the institution by focusing attention on doing things day-to-day to accomplish the mission, while at the same time taking steps to pursue its vision-the long-term institutional intent.

Clear articulation of an institution's vision and mission alone tells constituent groups what the institution stands for, what it believes in, and more importantly what the institution intends to do in achieving its objectives.

One measure of an institution's readiness to embark upon a comprehensive strategic planning process is its ability to embrace the development of a new or revised vision and mission. The commitment to strategic planning needs unmistakable resolve by everyone involved in developing a cogent vision and its subsequent mission to stakeholders. Specifically, a vision defines the long-term ideal such as what future an institution will create. It follows that the mission answers the questions, Why does an institution exist? What are the outcomes of its work? The critical question, "How does an institution act?" illustrates its values, which can include among others innovation, integrity, creativity, respect, a business enterprising spirit, unwavering determination, and unambiguous thinking. It definitely helps for an institution to examine all types of "means" issues such as values and belief systems that guide it through the visioning process.