Book Review: Making Vision Stick

I just finished reading Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley.  This book is a part of the “Leadership Library” according to Amazon.  I would agree that this book is a great addition to the library of any leader.  The book is a quick read…an hour at the most.

Here are some of my takeaways that I highlighted in the book:

• “It is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that people understand and embrace the vision of the organization.”
• “Once you have settled the issue of responsibility, here are five things you can do to significantly increase the adhesiveness of your vision. 1. State the vision simply. 2. Cast the vision convincingly. 3. Repeat the vision regularly. 4. Celebrate the vision systematically. 5. Embrace the vision personally.”
• “One of the powerful things about a clearly articulated vision is that it has a way of redirecting the focus and resources within an organization. If the vision is too complicated for people to embrace, nothing changes.”
• “The behaviors that are celebrated are repeated. The decisions that are celebrated are repeated. The values that are celebrated are repeated.”
• “Leaders must keep their antennae up for new things that have the potential to distract from the main thing.”
• “Vision, not people’s random ideas, should determine programming.”
• “The questions people ask, the stories they tell or don’t tell, and the things they complain about communicate a great deal about the stickiness of your vision.”
• “Every leader should identify gauges that measure the alignment between the organization’s activity and its vision.”
• “Making your vision stick requires bold leadership. It will require you to develop a healthy intolerance for those things that have the potential to impede your progress.”