US Army Mission, Values, And Vision

When I think of the terms mission, values, and vision I am immediately reminded of what the US Army has taught me and reinforced my entire career so far. A mission is the tasks that we are given that meet the commanders intent, in the corporate world this could be the CEO or the board of directors, possibly a combination of both. Values are the moral compass that guides our decisions and how we will act, both individually and collectively (Murphy & Taylor, 2018). Vision is the concept of where we want to be in the future and what it takes to get there, similar to goal setting.

A mission statement may very well be the most critical part of a company and what they hope to achieve. I think that without a clear, concise and accurate mission statement a company will not be as successful. The mission should state what you are doing and why you are doing it, and the leaders must have total buy-in. Otherwise, the mission is meaningless (Fenner, 2017). One statement can have an impact on the entirety of a company and how it is perceived locally, nationally, and globally. This statement is entirely accurate in the world of Apple computers. Apple's was pure and to the point, "Change the World"

Working for a values-based organization certainly helps cement this thinking more than one that does not. General Norman Schwarzkopf famously said " Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." (Woodward, 2014). Values and character go hand in hand when it comes to leadership. As the General stated character cannot be replaced and is of utmost importance and without it, you will not be an effective leader. Values are not end states; instead, they are how we conduct ourselves as individuals and leaders (Woodward, 2014). I know for a fact if I did not have the values that I do I would not be as successful in my organization, or even in life for that