Without a Vision, People Perish

By Wesley Middleton

Three years ago, Stan, James and I set out to create an organization that personified the dream we had to be part of an incredible organization that would stand the test of time. An organization that held people accountable and demanded personal responsibility. An organization that placed family values above the dollar and the demands of the business.  An organization that was exciting, energetic and a place that we would love spending the better part of our lives at.  As I look around our office today, I see that vision in full force.  I had that “aha” moment, we are living in the moment. We are living “in a vision” and not in the circumstances of an organization that simply exists to satisfy the monetary needs of its owners. I see other firms and organizations and I feel terrible for the people that are a part of an organization with no vision and no clear direction.  As Soloman said in Proverbs, “without a vision the people perish”. How true that is! Organizations die because the leaders have no vision.
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Joseph Jurkash, CPA, CGMAWoodco Fund ManagementCongrats Wesley! You make me want to come back to public!

Gary WulfFinancial Advisor at Morgan StanleyThere's just no substitute for clear vision and great leadership. Congratulations to you for daring to live it, every day Wesley Middleton, CPA!

As I sit and just think about great organizations, I just wonder, did the early team at Google or Apple or Facebook realize that they were a part of greatness? Did they truly understand that they were a part of something that would revolutionize some area of our lives? Did they appreciate that moment?

We had our #MRZRollout2016 (our Vision Rollout) last week, and among the many things that went on, I conveyed to our team that they are living in that kind of moment. A moment where a vision is being brought to life. A moment of greatness and one that you know, without a doubt, that you are a part of an organization that is changing lives and providing a platform for dreams to come true. But do they see it? That’s the question I ask myself.  Does the team see it and recognize this moment?

It is so easy to look at an organization and see that they have no vision and no direction. I have been a part of two such organizations. How do you recognize one that does? Here are a couple of clues to help you be a part of something great and recognize where your company is:
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•  Does your leadership take risks or is it status quo? Just trodding along and never challenging “same as last year” mentality? If you are not experiencing change in your organization, you are fading.
• Does you leadership stand up and communicate to you EXACTLY what the vision and direction of your company is? Do you know where the company wants to be in 5 years? I can assure you that the MRZ team knows EXACTLY where we want to be in 5 years.
• Does your leadership tell you why your organization exists? In a follow up post, I will be going into detail about the #MRZWhy.
• Do you leaders have the same tone and message? Are they fighting or are they on the same page?

MRZ is living in the moment.  Only great people who can grasp the vision need apply to be a member of this incredible team. Mediocrity is not tolerated, innovation is encourage and personal responsibility is expected. Life is too short to not be a part of something great. Take a moment and ask yourself about the four points I made above. If you can’t see that vision, find a place that you can.

Wesley Middleton is the managing partner at MRZ LLP, a Houston, Texas-based accounting firm voted Best Place to Work by the Houston Business Journal. Wesley is the author of Violent Leadership (Forbes Books, 2017) and is represented by PumpJack Speakers Bureau. To book Wesley for your event, email Wesley.Middleton@PumpJack.me or click here.