Vision & Values
I passed a major milestone birthday last May. Ever since, I’ve been thinking a lot about the purpose of my life, what I hope to achieve, and the legacy I hope to leave. I’m active in a lot of arenas. I’m a pastor and a chaplain. I lead a church. I’m a business leader. I have multiple startups under my belt and actively support a business. I’m involved in a number of non-profits, serving on a variety of boards. I’m a husband. I’m a father.
Above all else, I’m a child of God and, as such (to use a phrase my church has heard me use ad nauseam but I haven’t written much about here), I’m a “created creator.” I firmly believe humanity is at its finest and each individual person experiences his or her greatest fulfillment when we reflect the “imago dei” (the image of God) in the act of creation.
The more I’ve reflected on this, the more I’ve been drawn to the realization that living a life of creative purpose and leaving a lasting legacy is not all that different than leading a successful business, non-profit, or church. For an organization to be successful, it must have a clearly defined vision and set of values.
Stephen Covey once said, “Personal leadership is the process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with them.”
This quote and the reflections of my heart over the past few months have led me a place of formally establishing a set of values and a vision statement for my life. I published these statements on a separate page on this site (click here to read it). Here I wanted to simply explain the process and the reason for its existence. My vision is…
To live out my values (faith, freedom, family), making a meaningful and lasting difference within my family, my team, and my community by leading transformationally, caring compassionately and practicing unconditional integrity.
I recognize that my vision is not a traditional vision statement. A traditional vision statement is supposed to point to a tangible result of pursuing a mission and adhering to a set of values. Because this is MY vision statement and not a vision statement for an organization or team of people, and because I prefer alliterations wherever possible, “vision and values” are the terms with which I went.
My values - faith, freedom, and family - are also alliterative, but more importantly, have long been terms I’ve used to describe myself and the focus of my time, energy and resources, for the entirety of my adult life. When I ran for the PA State House in 2022, I even included these three words on my campaign signs and literature. I’m officially adopting them as my personal values in order to solidify their place in my life.
My faith in God through Jesus Christ changed my life, literally. The very trajectory of my life flipped 180 degrees when I accepted the gospel. I walked away from every plan I made and achievement I earned.
I am a fierce defender of freedom. Growing up in the United States, a nation to which my forefathers traversed the Atlantic Ocean to build and defend, is something of which I am incredibly proud. Inheriting the liberties I enjoy every day is not something I take lightly. As a result, I served 10 years in the US Air Force, been involved in local, state, and federal politics, and have even stepped forth multiple times to run for public office (elected to city council in 2015).
Finally, a strong family, is not only a cornerstone of my life but a cornerstone of a strong, healthy society. Even before we were married, Erin and I committed to raising our children surrounded by their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We placed our commitment to family above our career options and income potential.
Those are my values. Differentiating from my values, my vision statement is focused on tangible steps I take to live them out. In my vision statement I include the phrases “transformational leadership, compassionate care, and uncompromising integrity.” Every day, whether interacting with my colleagues, clients, parishioners, neighbors or family, these are the qualities by which I seek to be viewed through the words I speak and actions I take.
As I mentioned above, a more detailed explanation of my vision and values are published on a separate page listed above and linked here. What is your vision? What are your values? Whether or not you publish anything about it, it’s a good discipline to consider the reasons you do what you do.