BOOK CHAPTER REVIEW
Chapter Title: Cast Your Vision
Author: Anthony Njagi
Reviewer: Victor Ochieng’
Thriving Entrepreneurs is the latest book published by Antony Njagi.
As a scribe, I can describe the book as a manual for entrepreneurs.
It was launched at the front-end of June in Kisii Town in a star-studded event.
So far, the author has three books on the topic of entrepreneurship under his belt.
He titled his first book: What Kenyan Entrepreneurs Never Tell You.
Then, the second one, which I was privileged to edit, was titled The Street-Smart Entrepreneur.
In this write-up, I want to write about a chapter which whetted my fat appetite.
It simply reads, “Cast Your Vision.”
Foremost, the putative author begins by invoking the winsome wisdom of Solomon, who in Proverbs 29:18, observed, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
Somehow, if given a little latitude without any form of finitude, one would also posit that “Where there is vision, people flourish.”
Indeed, thriving entrepreneurs are cognizant of the fact that money follows vision and not the other way around.
Somewhat, vision is defined as the intended destination in any life’s journey.
It is the ability to think about or plan the future with clarity of imagination and conventional wisdom.
Clarity of imagination helps the entrepreneur to set goals while wisdom act as the good guide in attainment of the business goals.
Vision spells out the intended end-game of a chosen path.
It is useful because in any form of business, direction is more important than speech.
Again, vision infuses the life of an entrepreneur with some sense of purpose – reason of existence.
Apart from focusing on profit-making, vision reminds entrepreneurs that they exist to create value – not only value for business, but also value for clients and society at large.
In a larger sense, to any entrepreneur, vision is a critical tool used for soul-searching and self-assessment purposes.
Through the principle of vision, it is possible to ascertain whether the business exists for selfish motives or whether it is there to solve perplexing problems that affect people on daily basis.
In any business, the process of vision-casting is the most interesting bit.
It filters out what is unrefined about a business enterprise and refines its owner’s intention to a great extent.
Vision makes the owner of the business to think critically about the venture.
Thriving entrepreneurs cast the vision by obeying the inspired words in the sacred scriptures.
In Habakkuk 2:2-3 pious people are advised to “… write the vision and make it on the tablet so that those who read it may run with it.”
It should never be lost on any entrepreneur; necessity demands that a vision be written down.
It is not a vison, but mere wishes, until it is written down.
Writing must be made consistent because what is just recorded in the mind is shifting shadows.
A vision that is only held in the mind is a roving target, a shifting goal-post, which hardly defines a specific direction.
When the entrepreneur utterly fails to pen down the vision, it fades like a decoration of forlorn flowers.
Or withers like blades of green grass blighted by the scorching sun.
Moreover, a vision is also a promissory note.
It is a promise you make to both yourself and clients.
It is what you plan to do with your customer’s trust.
It defines the high target you plan to hit by having a vision statement, which speaks the need for useful change.
Through commitment to quality, endless innovation and the ravenous desire to grow and glow, the business owner strives to overcome the attitude of finitude.
Lastly, thriving entrepreneurs know that visions are not forever cast on stone.
Vision statement are not static per se. visions can be refined in the course of the existence of the business.
Things should evolve in order to capture the changing needs and dynamic nature of things in the market.
The reviewer is an avid reader of books.
YOU CAN ALSO READ: How to Succeed as an Entrepreneur in Africa: A Practical Guide and Cases
