What Is a Vision Statement? Examples of How to Write One

What is a vision statement?

A vision statement is a written declaration clarifying your business’s meaning and purpose for stakeholders, especially employees. It describes a long-term goal for your company and employees. For example, an early Microsoft vision statement was “a computer on every desk and in every home.”

“A company vision statement reveals, at the highest levels, what an organization most hopes to be and achieve in the long term,” said Katie Trauth Taylor, owner and CEO of Untold Content, a writing consultancy. “It serves a somewhat lofty purpose: To harness all the company’s foresight into one impactful statement.”

Strategic frameworks for vision statement development

John Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model emphasizes that developing and communicating vision is critical for organizational change. Step 3 of Kotter’s model specifically focuses on “developing a vision and strategy” by determining core values, defining the ultimate vision, and creating strategies for realizing change. Step 4 then emphasizes communicating this vision consistently across all operations, from training to performance reviews.

Leading business strategists Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, in their seminal research Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies (Harper Business, 1994) identified key principles that enable visionary companies to succeed over the long term. Their research found that successful organizations have a strong sense of purpose that goes beyond making money, guided by core values that direct decision-making and behavior while maintaining the ability to adapt and change over time.

What’s the difference between a vision statement and a mission statement?

Mission statements are based in the present and convey to stakeholders and community members why a business exists and where it currently stands. Vision statements are future-based, and they are meant to inspire and give direction to employees.

“The vision is about your goals for the future and how you will get there, whereas the mission is about where you are now and why you exist,” said Paige Arnof-Fenn, founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, a global strategic marketing consulting firm. “The vision should motivate the team to make a difference and be part of something bigger than themselves.”

Mission statements and vision statements are both crucial for building a brand. Although mission and vision statements should be core elements of your organization, a vision statement should serve as your company’s guiding light.

“While a mission statement focuses on the purpose of the brand, the vision statement looks to the fulfillment of that purpose,” said Jessica Honard, co-CEO of North Star Messaging + Strategy, a copywriting and messaging firm that serves entrepreneurs.

How to write a vision statement

Creating the perfect vision statement may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Follow these suggestions and best practices when crafting your vision statement.

1. Determine who will shape your vision

The first step in writing a vision statement is determining who will craft it. In a small business, you may be able to ask everyone for their insight. In a larger operation, you may need to be more selective while still capturing a range of employee voices.

2. Evaluate your company’s published materials

Your company likely already has published goals and established values in its employee handbook, marketing materials and other publications. Use this information to guide your work, suggested Alison Brehme, an author and content marketing and media strategist.

“A company’s mission, purpose, goals and values are all involved in the creation of a company vision,” Brehme said. “Weave these concepts and beliefs into your vision statement.”

3. Hold workshops to brainstorm your vision

Brandon Shockley, former vice president of market research at branding and marketing firm 160over90 and now head of investor research and insights at Vanguard, recommended hosting workshops with key stakeholders representing a cross-section of your organization. Then, he said, assemble teams and use collaboration tools to create alternate versions of the statement, and gather employee feedback about how each version resonates.

4. Get individual input

Jamie Falkowski, chief creative officer at marketing and communications company Day One Agency, suggested conducting interviews with individual stakeholders to encourage honest feedback. Employees can identify common themes, describe the organization’s future in words or use visual branding tools as a basis for the vision statement.

5. Check out competitors’ vision statements

Look at your competitors’ vision statements to determine how you can differentiate your business from theirs. This will also give you an understanding of how your competitors see themselves, helping you find opportunities to fill the gaps in the market they don’t adequately serve. [Related article: How to Do a Competitive Analysis]

6. Map out your business’s biggest goals

When you’re crafting your vision statement, start by mapping out your business’s most audacious goals, Taylor suggested. 

“Reviewing your long-term goals in a collaborative setting will help you then zoom out on what your organization and the world will look like if you achieve them. That zoomed-out view of your success is really the heart of your vision statement.”

7. Consider your company’s potential global impact

Ask questions that reflect your business’s eventual scale and impact, Honard advised. 

“Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ve created a roadmap between your present and your future.”

These are a few of the questions Honard uses in guiding clients to identify their vision statement:

• What ultimate impact do I want my brand to have on my community, my industry or the world?
• In what way will my brand ultimately interact with customers and clients?
• What will the culture of my business look like, and how will that play out in employees’ lives?

8. Be daring, not generic

Don’t be afraid to dream big once you gather all the information and get down to writing. Don’t worry about practicality for now; what initially looks impossible may be achieved down the road with the right team and technologies. Work on shaping a vision statement that reflects the specific nature of your business and its aspirations.

“If a vision statement sets out a generic goal that anyone can agree with, it is likely to produce mediocre results. A goal like ‘delivering an exceptional experience’ applies equally to a hospital, bank or fitness club,” Shockley said.

9. Keep it short but meaningful

A vision statement should be no longer than a sentence or two. You want your entire organization to be able to repeat it quickly and, more importantly, understand it. 

“[It] can be smart and memorable, but this is for your team and culture, not for selling a specific product,” Falkowski said.

Don’t fret if you feel that a short vision statement doesn’t fully express the intricacies of your vision. You can create a longer version, but it should not be the one you broadcast to the world.

“Let’s be honest – most business leaders, not to mention boards of directors, won’t be able to sum up their vision in a pithy sentence or two. That’s OK,” said Shannon DeJong, owner of brand agency House of Who. “Have a full-length version of your vision for the leadership’s eyes only. Think of the long version as your reference guide to why you’re in business in the first place.”

Quick tips for your vision statement

Here’s a quick breakdown of what to do when formalizing your vision statement:

• Project five to 10 years into the future.
• Dream big, and focus on success.
• Use the present tense.
• Use clear, concise, jargon-free language.
• Infuse it with passion, and make it inspiring.
• Align it with your business values and goals.
• Create a plan to communicate your vision statement to your employees.
• Prepare to commit time and resources to the vision you establish.

Your completed vision statement should offer a clear idea of your company’s path forward. Honard said many of her clients have used their vision statements to direct their overall plans for the future. 

For example, they’ve adopted new marketing initiatives to move them closer to their vision, pivoted their focus to clearly reflect their desired outcome, or doubled down on one particular aspect of their brand that is working to serve their vision.

Vision statement implementation timelines

Research from LSA Global’s organizational development studies shows that most high-performing teams require 2 to 6 weeks to develop meaningful mission and vision statements. The timeline depends on factors including company size, strategic complexity, stakeholder involvement, and existing organizational clarity.

A fast-track version can be completed in 1-2 days with intensive facilitated sessions, but this approach works best only when there’s strategic urgency, strong existing alignment among leadership, and clear organizational values already in place. However, rushing the process often leads to vague, uninspiring statements that fail to drive team alignment or action.

20 examples of inspiring vision statements

Some memorable and distinct vision statements may be all the inspiration you need to write your own. Here are some of the best examples of inspiring vision statements:

1. Amazon: “Our vision is to be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”
2. Ben & Jerry’s: “Making the best ice cream in the nicest possible way.”
3. Caterpillar: “Our vision is a world in which all people’s basic needs – such as shelter, clean water, sanitation, food, and reliable power – are fulfilled in an environmentally sustainable way, and a company that improves the quality of the environment and the communities where we live and work.”
4. Cradles to Crayons: “Provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive – at home, at school, and at play.”
5. Google: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click.”
6. Habitat for Humanity: “A world where everyone has a decent place to live.”
7. Hilton Hotels & Resorts: “To fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality by delivering exceptional experiences – every hotel, every guest, every time.”
8. IKEA: “To create a better everyday life for the many people.”
9. Intel: “If it’s smart and connected, it’s best with Intel.”
10. LinkedIn: “Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.”
11. Oxfam: “To be a self-organized people actively creating a just democratic and sustainable world where power and resources are shared, everyone lives in dignity, and poverty and inequality are no more.”
12. Patagonia: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”
13. Prezi: “To reinvent how people share knowledge, tell stories, and inspire their audiences to act.”
14. Samsung: “Shape the future with innovation and intelligence.”
15. Southwest Airlines: “To become the world’s most loved, most flown and most profitable airline.”
16. Sweetgreen: “To inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food.”
17. TED: “We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives, and, ultimately, the world.”
18. Walgreens: “To be America’s most-loved pharmacy-led health, well-being and beauty company.”
19. Warby Parker: “We believe that buying glasses should be easy and fun.”
20. Wyeth: “Our vision is to lead the way to a healthier world.”

How to use your vision statement

Determine where your vision statement will appear and what role it will serve in your organization. This will make the process more than an intellectual exercise, Shockley said. It’s pointless to hang a vision statement in the lobby or promote it via your business’s social media channels if you never genuinely integrate it into your company culture.

“The vision business statement should be thought of as part of your strategic plan,” Shockley said. “It is an internal communications tool that helps align and inspire your team to reach the company’s goals.”

As such, you should view a vision statement as a living document that will be revisited and revised. Most importantly, it must speak directly to your employees.

“If your employees don’t buy into the vision, you’ll never be able to carry it out,” said Keri Lindenmuth, director of marketing with the Kyle David Group, a web and tech solutions provider. “The vision statement should be something your employees believe in. Only then will they make decisions and take actions that reflect your business’s vision.”

Common vision statement failures to avoid

Learning from strategic planning failures can help organizations avoid costly mistakes. AchieveIt’s analysis of 13 strategic planning failures reveals common patterns that lead to vision statement and strategic planning breakdowns:

• Lack of stakeholder buy-in: Companies like Hewlett Packard failed when merging with Compaq because they didn’t allow employees to adjust to different company cultures, leading to mistrust and lack of support across all organizational levels.
• Disconnection from reality: Motorola’s strategic planning failure occurred when they tried to market luxury cellphones in 2009 without proper market research, causing the company to lose millions.
• Inadequate market research: WorkerExpress failed because they didn’t realize there was little market for their direct-to-consumer construction worker platform, forcing them to pivot their entire business model.
• Generic messaging: Vision statements that set generic goals anyone can agree with typically produce mediocre results, as they fail to provide distinctive direction or inspiration.

The vision for your vision statement

A vision statement is a tool that can help your business grow and achieve brand success. Along the journey of growing your business, you’ll face good months, rough months, and every detour and roadblock imaginable. Above all, your vision statement should constantly remind you and your team of the end goal. This message is important to hold on to, especially on the most challenging days. 

Bassam Kaado and Paula Fernandes contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.