Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz once said, “Everyone will walk around with a Starbucks cup in their hand.” And you know, I think they are pretty dang close. To cast a vision is vital. Vision seems to be a new trendy business term with titles like CVO for Chief Visionary Officer. The CVO is expected to steer the organization’s course into the future. What markets, products and how the organization will look and feel are what the CVO must articulate. Actually, the truth is, casting vision is not new at all. King Solomon, to whom God gave a “wise and understanding heart such as no one has had or ever will have!” (1 Kings 3:12), cautioned “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). So if God says vision can prevent people from perishing and organizations of all sizes reap its benefits, there’s no question of its importance. But do we have to have a CVO title on a business card to cast vision? Must the vision be about organizations and profit and loss statements? (more…)