Today, I talked with 5 different ministries in pursuit of clarity. At one point, Tim with the E4 Project started sharing the benefit of the process as we were refining their Vision Frame. I love the image he used:
“It’s giving me a mental base camp as a leader.”
Bam! That’s it. Another brilliant picture of the power of clarity.
What is a “base camp?”
- A center of operations, organization, or supply
- A camp from which expeditions or other activities set out or from which they can be carried out.
- A main encampment providing supplies, shelter, and communications for persons engaged in wide-ranging activities, such as exploring, reconnaissance, hunting, or mountain climbing.
These definitions highlight three different aspects of the power of clarity. The Vision Frame is like a mental base camp because:
- It creates a center of operations of how we think.
- It defines the place from which every idea, conversation, decision, and action initiates. Everything sets out from a prior understanding of our “base” identity and baseline mission.
- It supplies, protects, and communicates essentials so that people can be involved in a very broad range of activities and pursuits.
In the end, where there is no base camp there is no common gathering point and no great summit experience.
Do you have a mental base camp as a leader?