Real-world vision statements to inspire your own organization's view of success.
Key Takeaways
  • Describe the problem you solve, not your features. Listing features is the common pitfall in technology company vision statements.
  • Say what success looks like in a sentence or two. The Alzheimer's Association's "A world without Alzheimer's disease" is easy to communicate and get behind.
  • Name what makes your community or market distinct. Minneapolis highlights its economy and environment; Centric Bank names its exact customers and region.
  • Match the tone to your sector. A bank's vision should promise financial security; a nonprofit's can aim at goodwill.
  • Write your own with the guide to crafting a powerful vision statement. Keep the vision distinct from your mission, goals and strategies.
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“Think big” is the usual prompt when a strategy meeting turns to the vision statement. It sounds fun. It also gives writer’s block to even the most creative leaders.

A vision statement says where your company wants to be in the future. It’s aspirational, and many companies treat it as their North Star. A vision statement anchors an organization in the NOW, while giving it an ambitious direction forward. That is hard to fit in a sentence or two. The five examples below show how others have done it.

Click to tweet: A vision statement anchors an organization in the NOW, while giving it an ambitious direction forward

Qualities Of A Vision Statement

Your vision is different from your mission, goals, and strategies. Many organizations use the terms interchangeably, but each plays its own role in guiding strategy. (See our mission statement examples and our guide to mission vs. vision statements for more on the difference.) A good vision statement has these qualities:

  • Forward-thinking
  • Specifies what success looks like for your organization
  • Creative
  • Aspirational
  • Clear and easy to communicate

A statement with these qualities earns buy-in inside and outside the company. People rally around what you’re trying to do, and it means something to employees and customers.

Buy-in is easier when people helped write the vision. Our guide to crafting a strategic vision statement notes that sometimes the strongest statements are crafted with input from everyone at all levels, not just leaders. It also asks you to stay realistic. Check whether you can actually achieve your goals with the resources you have, and make sure the wording doesn’t go against your mission.

At the time of our case study, the City of Fort Lauderdale took that idea to its whole community. Its vision, “Fast Forward Fort Lauderdale,” described the Fort Lauderdale of 2035 based on feedback from neighbors and stakeholders. The outreach ran over six months and collected 1,562 ideas. The city built those wishes and needs directly into the vision itself, which kept neighbors engaged. The vision plan was adopted unanimously in April 2013.

Here are five vision statements to spark ideas for your own.

5 Vision Statement Examples From 5 Different Industries

Technology

1. Amazon: “To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices.”

For-profit companies often use the vision statement to describe their place in an ideal world. Amazon does too. In Amazon’s world, success is all about the customer. “Find and discover anything” is an ambitious promise. Amazon is known today for convenient options and services, and that follows from its vision.

A common pitfall for technology companies: Don’t focus on your features or services. Focus on the problems you aim to solve.

Nonprofit

2. Alzheimer’s Association: “A world without Alzheimer’s disease.”

This is one of the best-known nonprofit vision statements. It’s short and describes an ideal world. It’s easy to repeat and easy to get behind. Its single focus motivates staff and donors alike. Nonprofits aim for goodwill rather than revenue, and their vision statements show it.

Local Government

3. City of Minneapolis: “Minneapolis is a growing and vibrant world-class city with a flourishing economy and a pristine environment, where all people are safe, healthy and have equitable opportunities for success and happiness.”

A city’s vision statement should speak to its community and its citizens’ quality of life. The best ones name what sets the community apart and what it depends on. A rural town might mention agriculture. The more urban Minneapolis focuses on economic growth and a clean environment. Language about citizens’ well-being, equality, and prosperity is standard for local government. Minneapolis says it simply, which makes it easy to communicate.

Arapahoe County, Colorado’s first county, keeps its vision just as short: “First in Colorado, First in Service. Your County of Choice.” To deliver on that promise, the county set three goals: Service First, Fiscal Responsibility and Quality of Life. In 2009 it launched Align Arapahoe, a program to prioritize and align those goals with the county’s day-to-day services and activities. A short vision is easy to repeat, but it still needs goals and a program like this underneath it.

Education

4. The El Paso Independent School District (EPISD): “The El Paso Independent School District will be a premier educational institution, source of pride and innovation, and the cornerstone of emerging economic opportunities producing a twenty-first century workforce.”

EPISD’s vision works because it focuses on educational outcomes as well as students. The district wants a high-quality education that prepares students for the modern job market. “Innovation” carries the aspiration: students and faculty can rally behind being at the front of education. “Cornerstone” is a good choice too, because people often call education a foundation.

Banking

5. Centric Bank: “We aspire to become the locally owned, independent community bank of choice for small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, and individuals in central Pennsylvania. We will combine steady growth, consistent earnings, and firm control of risk factors to provide safety for our depositors. Our people will be the difference in establishing consistency in earnings and enhanced shareholder value.”

The bank is clear that it wants to be the top choice for a specific market and region. Then it hints at how it will get there. The vision also stresses its employees. That gives the team a stake and tells customers that skilled people handle their money.

Centric Bank is honest about its work. It’s a financial institution, not Disney World. Its job is to generate wealth and provide financial security. Banking is a sober industry, and a bank’s vision statement should feel different from a school’s or a nonprofit’s.

Write your own vision statement

A vision statement maps out your organization’s grand plan and gives your team a sense of purpose. Vision and mission statements are related but different. Our guide to mission vs. vision statements explains the difference.

Plan to revisit the statement, too. A strategic vision is time-bound, with timelines that typically range from three to 10 years, so you’ll likely create and recreate it several times. A for-profit company may adjust its vision every year as markets change, while a local government may only change its vision every five or even 10 years.

Common questions

What is a vision statement?

A vision statement is a declaration that outlines an organization's long-term aspirations, goals, and desired future state. It provides a clear picture of what the organization aims to achieve and guides its strategic direction. A well-crafted vision statement is concise, inspirational, and aligns with the organization's values and purpose.

Why is a vision statement important?

A vision statement is important because it:

  • Inspires and Motivates: It motivates employees and stakeholders by providing a shared sense of purpose and direction.
  • Guides Decision-Making: It serves as a framework for decision-making, helping organizations prioritize initiatives that align with their long-term goals.
  • Defines Success: It defines success criteria and helps measure progress towards achieving the organization's aspirations.
  • Attracts Stakeholders: It attracts like-minded stakeholders, including customers, investors, and partners, who resonate with the organization's vision.

Why should a vision statement be established first?

A vision statement should be established first because it sets the foundation for strategic planning and organizational alignment. By defining the desired future state upfront, organizations can develop goals, strategies, and actions that are coherent and directed towards achieving that vision. It ensures that all activities and decisions are purpose-driven and contribute meaningfully to the organization's long-term success.

Why write a vision statement?

Writing a vision statement is essential because it:

  • Aligns Stakeholders: It aligns employees, leaders, and stakeholders around a common purpose and inspires commitment to shared goals.
  • Provides Clarity: It provides clarity on the organization's aspirations, helping to communicate its identity and direction both internally and externally.
  • Encourages Innovation: It encourages innovation and strategic thinking by fostering a forward-looking mindset and challenging the status quo.
  • Promotes Accountability: It promotes accountability by establishing a benchmark against which progress can be measured and evaluated.

Crafting a compelling vision statement ensures that organizations remain focused, motivated, and resilient in pursuing their long-term objectives.

Ted Jackson
Ted Jackson
Co-Founder & Alabama Native

Co-Founder and Managing Partner of ClearPoint. Former VP at Kaplan and Norton's Balanced Scorecard Collaborative.

Ted Jackson is the co-founder of ClearPoint Strategy, a B2B SaaS platform that empowers organizations to execute strategic plans with precision. Before ClearPoint, he was Vice President at the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative — later the Palladium Group — the firm Drs. Robert Kaplan and David Norton founded to put their framework into practice, where he led global sales and support for its strategy management software and wrote three articles for the Balanced Scorecard Report. A Duke and Harvard Business School alumnus, he brings over 30 years' experience in strategy execution, including 15 years implementing the Balanced Scorecard in the field. Ted works closely with customers to ensure the software meets unique challenges, continually refining the platform with his global expertise.