Is Your Vision a View or Purpose?

In this YouTube video, Jesse Lyn Stoner shares her thoughts on the power of vision and how vision is more than a "powerful picture." Leaders present clear purpose that is commonly embraced by their subordinates.



Wildland fire leaders must have a clear vision that is expressed through "leader's intent." Check out what Leading in the Wildland Fire has to say about the topic:

Leader’s Intent
Incidents inevitably create conditions in which it is impossible to project centralized command and control over all actions and events. In fast-moving, dynamic situations, top-level decision makers cannot always incorporate new information into a formal planning process and redirect people to action within a reasonable timeframe.

We provide leader’s intent so people closest to the scene of action can adapt plans and exercise initiative to accomplish the objective when unanticipated opportunities arise or when the original plan no longer suffices.

Leader’s intent is a crucial element of effective operations because it reduces internal friction and empowers subordinates—even when chaotic conditions prevent the chain of command from communicating effectively.

Leader’s intent is a clear, concise statement about what our people must do to succeed in their assignments. It delineates three essential components:

• Task—what is the objective or goal of the assignment.
• Purpose—why the assignment needs to be done.
• End state—how the situation should look when the assignment is successfully completed.

At the incident level, the end state places the values at risk within the context of the standing incident priorities: (1) life, (2) property, (3) natural resources, and (4) management goals and concerns for the area affected.

Within the framework of the defined end state, leaders can develop plans that include incident objectives, priorities, strategies, trigger points, and contingency plans.