“Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” (Exodus 32:6)
In looking at vision and leadership in Christian parlance and its ensuing practices, vision and leadership are often considered essential components of effective ministry, administration, and also providing an effective life’s direction. While people have asked; which is more important, vision or leadership? This question of whether vision is more important than leadership has given rise to a deep scriptural reflection. There is no doubt about the fact that vision provides direction, while leadership ensures execution. Nonetheless, the interplay between these two powerful and important elements is key to understanding their significance in the light of Scripture. Now, let us look at them a little bit more intently through God’s word.
Vision, in biblical terms, is divine revelation; God’s direction or insight into what should be pursued. In the book of Proverbs 29:18 (KJV), the Bible states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Other translations like the New King James Version render the same verse as: “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law.” This verse suggests that vision is not merely human ambition but divine guidance that sustains and directs people. The absence of vision leads to spiritual and moral decay. In Exodus 32:6, the Bible showed us what happens when there is no vision. It says: “Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
Leadership, on the other hand, is the ability to guide, influence, and serves people in alignment with divine purpose. Jesus Christ exemplifies ultimate leadership, defining it in terms of servanthood. Biblical leadership is not merely about authority but about leading others in the path God has set. While vision is essential, its effectiveness depends on leadership. A clear biblical example is found in Habakkuk 2:2-3, where God instructs the prophet: “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” This passage implies that vision must be communicated clearly and that there is an active role—someone must “run” with the vision. The vision alone does not accomplish the goal; it requires leadership to mobilize people to act on it.
Now, consider Moses, who received a vision from God to lead Israel out of Egypt. The Bible says in the book of Exodus 3:7-10:
“And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
One thing you would notice from that passage above is that the vision alone did not bring about deliverance. Moses’ leadership, despite his initial reluctance, was crucial for its fulfillment. Without his obedience and leadership, the Israelites would have remained in bondage despite God’s intention to set them free. Similarly, Nehemiah had a vision to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls (Nehemiah 2:12-18), but the actualization required his leadership. His ability to organize workers, motivate the people, and navigate opposition was instrumental in completing the task.
“Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode. 13 And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire. 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass. 15 So I went up in the night by the valley, and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. 16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work. 17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.”
On the other hand, leadership without vision results in misdirection, confusion, and failure. Saul, Israel’s first king, lacked divine vision despite his leadership position. Though chosen by God (1 Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: “Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander over His inheritance?), he eventually strayed due to his failure to align with God’s vision. His leadership became ineffective because he prioritized personal ambition over divine direction.
So Samuel said:
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He also has rejected you from being king.”
Another example is found in Judges 21:25, which describe a time when Israel lacked divine vision and leadership: “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” This verse reveals that leadership voids of divine vision leads to chaos and moral decline. Leadership without vision can result in self-centered decision-making, leaving people without clear direction.
Now, Jesus Christ embodies the perfect balance of vision and leadership. He consistently operated with divine vision, declaring in John 5:19, “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do.” His leadership was rooted in God’s vision, ensuring that every step He took aligned with divine purpose. Christ’s vision was clear—“to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), and He led His disciples with wisdom, servanthood, and empowerment. His leadership was not about control but about equipping others to carry the vision forward (Matthew 28:19-20).
Rather than positioning vision and leadership as mutually exclusive, scripture suggests that they are interdependent. Vision without leadership remains unrealized, while leadership without vision leads to aimless pursuits. However, if one were to take precedence, vision must come first, as leadership should be directed by divine revelation. A leader without a clear, God-given vision risks leading people in circles, as seen in the Israelites’ prolonged journey in the wilderness. But when leadership aligns with divine vision, transformation occurs.
“And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. 34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection.” (Numbers 14:33-34)
Consider the early church: the apostles had the vision of the Great Commission (Acts 1:8), and through their leadership, the gospel spread worldwide. Their leadership was effective because it was anchored in divine vision. In conclusion, vision is foundational, but leadership is essential for execution. A scriptural exegesis reveals that vision provides purpose and direction, while leadership ensures mobilization and realization. Leaders must first seek God’s vision, then execute it faithfully. Jesus Christ remains the perfect example of how vision and leadership should function together in God’s kingdom.
Thus, vision is the guiding force, but leadership is the driving force that brings vision into reality. The two are inseparable, but vision must always precede leadership for effectiveness in both ministry and life.
Article Source: Centre for New Dimension Leadership
