Mission, Vision, and Effective Nonprofit Leadership

Barry Dym, Susan Egmont, and Laura Watkins

The fundamental challenge for all leaders is to align their organizations in the service of their mission and vision, reflected in concrete objectives, realized in strategically developed operations, embedded in culture, and exemplified in their own being.

Leadership, then, begins with mission and vision. These “soft” disciplines steady, orient, and drive the leader. When taken seriously, they provide discipline, inspiration, and guideposts for everything organizations do.

Individual leaders must be clear about their own and their organization’s mission and vision. The mission defines what the organization is all about, its reason for being, and what ...