Leadership- Vision

Today in my leadership class, we talked about having a vision. We talked about how your vision has to be HUGE.  For example, Disney wants "to make people happy" (think about all the people that go to Disneyland--that is a lot of people), Microsoft wants "a personal computer in every home running Microsoft Software"(that's a ton of computers), and Walmart wants to be the "worldwide leader in retail." Those are HUGE goals. They seem impossible, but that is what makes people try really hard to succeed.

Corporate Name	Vision Statement
Amazon	Our vision is to be earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.
Avon Products	To be the company that best understands and satisfies the product, service and self-fulfillment needs of women - globally.
Coca-Cola	To achieve sustainable growth, we have established a vision with clear goals. Profit: Maximizing return to share owners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities. People: Being a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be. Portfolio: Bringing to the world a portfolio of beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people; desires and needs. Partners: Nurturing a winning network of partners and building mutual loyalty. Planet: Being a responsible global citizen that makes a difference.
Kraft Foods	Helping people around the world eat and live better.
Macy's	Our vision is to operate Macy's and Bloomingdale's as dynamic national brands while focusing on the customer offering in each store location.
Microsoft	A personal computer in every home running Microsoft software.
Toyota	To become the most successful and respected lift truck company in the U.S.
The Walt Disney Corporation	To make people happy.
Walmart	Worldwide leader in retail.

Then a couple of days ago, Brother Bond, a business management professor with tons of experience in brand management (super interesting job btw), talked to us about establishing goals. He has had a super successful career in business, but even after just hearing him talk for less than an hour, I could tell that he is a great person and leader too. He was super confident and interesting; he really got people. I want to be like that. Being a captivating teacher would be really helpful for so many things.
Anyways, for my class...
1.) Write down the vision you have for yourself as a leader. Then write down the goals that will help you achieve your vision. Your vision should only be a sentence or two, but should give a clear image of what type of leader you aspire to be someday. Your goals should be as detailed as they can be. They should stretch you, but also be attainable.
I have thought about my personal leadership vision, and this is what I came up with:
Ultimately, I want to be a good example and disciple of Jesus Christ. I want to be a leader that constantly looks for and brings out the best in people.
To do that: I can be complimentary always, make friends with everybody, live selflessly, and put needs of others before my own. I can smile at everybody, even if it is awkward sometimes. Learn the names of everybody that I serve (work, church calling, etc.). Be proactive about problem solving; and help people work through conflict. I can spend time with the people that I serve and develop meaningful relationships by developing talents/interests together. I can be happy for other people, for their successes and tender mercies. I also want to be someone who people think of as just generally kind and sweet; someone who doesn't gossip or complain; and someone that thinks the best about people.

2.) Brother Bond shared his experience about John Plaso. As Brother Bond explained, John helped all those around him achieve their goals. As a leader, how do you plan to help those around achieve their goals?
I have heard that "if you lead from the front, people tend to stop following you. If you lead from the back, people get tired of you pushing them, but if you lead from within, you will be a successful leader," or something to that extent. I think that really means that by helping people, instead of telling them what to do or micro-managing them, you are able to give them direction and support, but let them have some creative control to do it in their own way. I want to be that kind of leader that works with people to help them achieve their goals. I want to be able to give people constructive criticism in a helpful way, and help them to grow in whatever way I can; I feel like the only way to do that without being offensive, you have to have a good relationship with the person from being their friend. It is super important to take the time to get to know the people that you serve because that is the only way to find out what is important to them, what they are struggling with, and how to help them. So I guess what I am trying to say is that you need to be friends with the people that you are trying to help to achieve their goals if you plan to have any success.

3.) In your opinion, what value does defining vision and goals have? 
When I write down goals (especially SMART goals), I find myself more prone to actually do what I said I was going to do. Writing things down helps me to remember to do something, and also makes me accountable for it (especially when I hang it up somewhere in my house where others can see it- that helps me because then everyone knows what I am trying to do, which is good peer pressure to do it). Also when I was student body president, the ASB officers got together and made a mission statement for the class. We read it to the leadership class and explained what was important to us and what direction we wanted the class to go in. That mission statement kept us accountable for what we said that we were going to do. We looked back at it frequently to check to see if we were doing it all, and if we weren't, there was always room for adjustments. If we didn't have it written down, they we wouldn't be able to check our progress and change anything when needed. That applies to visions in general because reflection is a huge part of leadership to compare where you are headed to where you where you want to end up. I like the quote "Begin with the End in Mind" for that reason.