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

Follow these tips, steps and examples to construct a meaningful vision statement.

By Sean Peek, Senior Analyst | Editor Reviewed: Adam Uzialko, Senior Editor
Business News Daily | Updated September 17, 2025

Many established companies focus on their mission statement, but a vision statement is an equally valuable tool for inspiring your team and forging a brand identity. Research from LSA Global found that strategic clarity accounts for 31% of the difference between high and low performing teams in terms of revenue growth, profitability, customer satisfaction and employee engagement. This data underscores the critical importance of investing time and effort in crafting meaningful vision statements that drive business performance.

In this guide, we’ll explore vision statements and their importance, as well as offer tools and best practices for crafting an inspiring vision statement that powers your growth strategy.

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…[MORE]

+

To read the entire article, visit the Business News Daily website, via: What Is a Vision Statement? Examples of How to Write One