Leading a church or ministry is a tough assignment. It is even tougher if the leader does not have a 
compelling vision. Compelling, according to Dictionary.com is "to force or drive, especially to a course of action; to have a powerful and irresistible effect, influence, etc." The vision of a leader must irresistibly force others to follow. How does a leader gain such a compelling vision? I offer ten suggestions:
1. I am personally called by God to a great cause.
Os Guinness said in his book, The Call, "The notion of calling is vital to each of us because it touches on the modern search for [personal] identity and an understanding of [two crucial questions: who am I? Why am I alive?]"
Ten ways to test God's calling in your life:
1. Is it within the principles of Scripture?
2. Does it demand God's participation?
3. Is it contrary to selfish desires?
4. Will it challenge my faith?
5. Am I pursuing God through it or running from a problem?
6. Am I being patient with it?
7. Does it build up others?
8. Is it within my God-given abilities and spiritual gifts?
9. Has Godly counsel encouraged it?
10. Am I experiencing peace in it?
2. I personally feel a deep burden for this great cause.
• But real men don't have feelings!
• A leader must have deep passion for his cause.
• No one should feel more deeply about it than the leader.
3. I have a clear vision of the outcome of this great cause.
• See the end products
• See the process
• See the people participating
4. I am compelled by the vision.
• If the cause does not drive the leader, it won't drive others.
• How is it motivating you?
5. The vision changes me.
• The compelling nature of the vision must transform the leader at every level.
• The leader's transformation must be felt and seen by others
6. I can articulate the vision in 30 seconds.
• In our remote control world, attention must be gained within a short period of time.
• Be ready to articulate the vision at any moment-at a grocery store, in line, casual conversations, etc.
• If a beautiful girl asked, "Why should I go out on a date with you?" You have a small window of time to answer it before the opportunity walks away.
7. I have written out the details of the vision.
• Who?
• What?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?
• How?
• For How Long?
8. I am deeply dependant upon God to fulfill the vision.
• Make sure the cause is big enough to include our omnipotent God
• Make sure the vision cannot be accomplished without God
9. My God-given cause benefits others.
• It has to change lives significantly
• The focus is on people, not institutions or organizations
10. I have not replicated a model of someone else's vision as my own.
• For a vision to be compelling, it must be God-originated, not man-originated.
• Howard Schultz, chairman of Starbucks recently issued a memo (Feb. 14, 2007) to his leading executives and said, "It's time to get back to the core and make the changes necessary to evoke the heritage, the tradition, and the passion that we all have for the true Starbucks experience... Let's get back to the core. Push for innovation and do the things necessary to once again differentiate Starbucks from all others."
• Our vision is only compelling if it is a specific vision for a specific place and a specific time (Acts 17:26).
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