Solution Focused Vision Beyond Dichotomy

     A unifying vision when it stems from realistic optimism provides an image for a more desirable community. As Peter Block (1987) explains, "A vision statement is an expression of hope, and if we have no hope, it is hard to create a vision" (p. 107).

    An effective civic leader is essentially a vehicle who articulates an image or ideal of what we should be striving for. "A leaders vision also inspires action and helps shape the future" (Nanus, 1992, p. 8).

     During the formation of the United States, a collective community vision played a crucial role in the creation of the Constitution. Nanus (1992) declares that,"The Constitution, for example, is a written description of the founding fathers vision for the United States, setting a clear direction and defining values but not specifying how to get there" (p. 8). A collective focused  endemic and systemic vision is crucial in transforming communities because it involves setting direction and defining strategies for a future were every living organisms best interests are included.

     Communities are essentially a group of subsystems in the midst of smaller and larger systems, all of which are intrinsically related. This interdependence is a primary reason that community missions or visions be all inclusive. It is crucial that civic leaders be cognizant of the many interrelated issues when formulating policies.

     Failure to develop an all inclusive community building strategy will result in the neglect of a particular subsystem and that negligence will eventually damage the entire system. Napier (1978) defines the system as, "any entity, the parts of which co-vary interdependently with one another, and which maintains equilibrium in an error-activated way" (p. 47). Capra's version of the system's concept asserts that this symbiotic relationship is the nature of the universe:

Systems theory looks at the world in terms of the inter-relatedness and interdependence of all phenomena; and in this framework an integrated whole whose properties cannot be reduced to those of its parts is called a system. Living organisms, societies, and ecosystems are all systems. (p. 43) Systems Theory has far-reaching implications for community leaders, because of its all inclusive ideology and long-term discernment.