Several years ago, a friend recommended a book called Visioneering. I bought a copy and spent several days digesting the insights and wisdom presented in the written word. This is a Christian book written by a well known pastor, and as I read it I realized that this wisdom also applies to leaders in Home Care.
The Power of Visioneering
In his book Visioneering, Andy Stanley describes vision as “a clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be.”
He argues that vision gives leaders the power to move beyond daily problems and short-term pressures to pursue a preferred future with purpose and passion. Vision inspires people to sacrifice, persevere, and work together because they see meaning in what they are building.
Stanley emphasizes that great leaders are not merely managers of the present; they are architects of the future who communicate a compelling picture that others want to join. In times of uncertainty or change, vision becomes a source of wisdom, helping leaders make decisions that align with long-term values and mission rather than temporary circumstances.
According to Stanley, organizations and individuals without vision drift, but those with a clear and compelling vision gain focus, energy, courage, and the ability to inspire others to achieve extraordinary results.
Top Tier Home Care Leaders have a Huge Vision
Over the years, a big part of my work has been speaking at Home Care association conferences and corporate meetings. One of the Hot Topics for several years has been “Lessons from the Mega Companies.” This is a series of six lessons I have gleaned from 13 years of facilitating Home Care CEO Mastermind Groups as part of the Home Care CEO Forum.
The two groups I spent the most time with are the Top 7% Mastermind, and the Top 5% Mastermind. These two groups represent the largest independent companies in Home Care, with annual revenues of $6 to $10 million for the Top 7% Group, and $10 to $45 million for the Top 5% Group.
One of the lessons that distinguishes these groups from the average companies in the industry as that their leaders have a huge vision. These CEOs see themselves running an big company, and they have a very clear sense of purpose for helping the largest number of families provide in-home care to their aging family members.
I was just having a conversation yesterday with the CEO of very large Home Care company based in Tennessee who has acquired two of our Mastermind Members. He described for me his Vision for the future, his Core Values for guiding actions and decisions, and his Purpose in serving more families over a multi-state region.
Visioneering Your Home Care Company
Over the past four decades, I had the privilege of facilitating over 500 Executive Retreats, and most of them have been for Home Companies that want to grow their business and get ready for the future.
One element of a highly successful leadership retreat is the time we spend on crafting the Vision for the company. It begins with the CEO Sharing his or her ideas about what they would like to see the company become. Then the leadership team participates in a Creative Thinking experience where they generate ideas about what they would like to the company to look like. This is followed by a Critical Thinking session where the group evaluates all of the ideas, establishes their criteria for their ideal future, and then narrows the list of ideas to the critical few.
It is this Critical Thinking Phase that really separates our process from what most groups do when they come together for “Brainstorming.” Brainstorming is fun and easy. Critical Thinking phase is more difficult, and more important. This phase helps you ground your vision in reality, crafting a picture of what it will actually take to move your company from where you are not to where you want to me.
