Aligning Strategies with Vision, Mission and Values: A Guide for Leaders

Leaders must ensure that their strategies are in line with the company's mission and vision. This is done by regularly monitoring strategies and making the necessary improvements when needed. The leader must understand the difference between the vision, which describes where the company is heading, and the mission, which articulates why the company exists. A good mission statement should summarize the purpose of a company with its unique contribution.

For example, Disney's mission can be expressed simply as “To make people happy”. A good leader should make sure that everyone in the organization understands this difference. Values statements should guide the organization from becoming another Enron. The value statement will guide leadership towards making decisions that are properly aligned with the organization's mission and vision.

The values of the organization must be present in all its activities and help its leaders to make ethical decisions that will allow them to achieve their mission. In other words, the mission statement is a way of expressing the vision in practical terms. It must be specific and include objective-oriented language. Each person in the organization can assess whether their own activities will serve to help the company achieve its mission. These challenges require an attitude of humility and openness on the part of the leader who develops the company's strategy.

While an action plan involves many discrete tasks, in essence the leader must build an organization that can carry out the strategy. Jim Collins, who presented the characteristics of eleven outstanding companies in his book Good to Great, argues that focused and disciplined thinking is a common element of leaders who go from good to great and their companies. This allows various departments in the organization to write their own plan that fits their specific function to meet the objective set out in the vision statement. Vision statements indicate where your organization is heading, so it is important for strategic planning. Gary Hamel and Liisa Vlikangas coined the term “strategic resilience” to describe a company's ability to continuously anticipate and adapt to trends that may permanently affect its ability to generate revenue. Instead of expanding to all segments where benefits can be obtained, leaders should focus their company's attention on strengthening its strategic position and communicating this strategy externally to customers who value it, as well as internally to the company.

In order to do this, leaders must define their company's strategic position and make necessary concessions. To begin writing such a statement, a quick survey should be conducted with members of the organization's leadership and management. The mission statement is essentially a business plan for an organization: a summary of objectives, philosophies, products, services, technology, etc. The vision statement should not have to be revised frequently; it is based on core beliefs and serves as a foundation for the company. Leaders must keep their eyes open to accurately assess any deterioration of strategy as it occurs. As an expert in SEO, I recommend that leaders align their strategies with their vision, mission and values in order to ensure success. This alignment will help them create a clear roadmap for achieving their goals while also ensuring that they are making ethical decisions that are in line with their core values.

Leaders should also focus on strengthening their strategic position by communicating their strategy externally and internally. Finally, they should conduct surveys with members of their leadership team in order to create a mission statement that accurately reflects their objectives.