“Leadership is not a singular experience. It doesn’t begin and end with the writing of a mission statement. It is, rather, the ongoing process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with those most important things.”— Stephen R. Covey
In the bustling corridors of Addis Ababa’s business district, and in the quiet, ambitious corners of startups sprouting from Mekele to Hawassa, there is a recurring mantra. Executives, founders, and public servants alike speak of “Vision,” “Mission,” and “Core Values.” They are framed, often in elegant calligraphy, and hung in lobbies. But as the ink dries, a question lingers: Do these words truly breathe, or are they merely corporate wallpaper?
As Ethiopia navigates an era of prosperity and economic liberalization, the relevance of these foundational pillars has never been more profound. This is not just a conversation about management theory; it is a conversation about the character of our nation’s future.
To understand the power of organizational DNA, we must peel back the layers of these often-misunderstood terms.
1. The Vision: The Horizon We Chase
A vision is not a business plan. It is a dream rendered in high definition. It is the answer to the question, “If we succeed beyond our wildest expectations, what does the world look like?” For an Ethiopian enterprise, this means envisioning not just market share, but a contribution to the national narrative—perhaps a more food-secure Ethiopia, a tech-literate youth, or an economy that competes on the global stage.
2. The Mission: The Daily Grind with Purpose
If the vision is the destination, the mission is the vehicle. It is the “why” we exist every morning. It is the fundamental function that defines our identity. A mission statement that fails to mention the people served, the problems solved, or the specific value added to the Ethiopian economy is a wasted opportunity.
3. Core Values: The Moral Compass
Values are not what we say; they are what we do when nobody is looking. In a market where shortcuts are often tempting, values provide the friction that prevents us from sliding into unethical practices. Integrity, resilience, community—these are not soft skills. In the context of business, they are the hardest, most resilient assets a company can possess.
From Paper to Practice: A Case Study
Consider the local SMEs that have survived the economic volatility of these days. If you speak to the owners, you rarely hear them quote their mission statement from a brochure. Instead, you hear them talk about how they treated their first ten customers. You hear them speak about how they stood by their workers during the hard times of the social and economic turmoil.
This is the true application of core values. It is seen in the hiring practices, in the way a conflict is resolved in the company, and in the way a business pivots when the market shifts. It is “culture by design,” not “culture by default.”
The Road-map to Institutional Integrity
For the modern Ethiopian enterprise, building a vision is a journey of introspection.
- Start with the ‘Why’: Why does your existence matter to the community?
- Involve the Team: A vision imposed from the top is a vision forgotten by the bottom.
- Iterate and Evolve: Our nation is changing. Our companies must change with it.
Conclusion: The Future We Shape Together
As we look toward the future, the success of Ethiopia’s companies will not be measured solely by GDP contributions. It will be measured by the strength of our companies and the clarity of our collective purpose. When we build organizations based on genuine, human-centered vision and mission, we aren’t just building businesses. We are building the backbone of a nation. Let us stop treating these words as check boxes for bureaucratic compliance. Let us instead treat them as the living, breathing promises we make to ourselves, our customers, and our country.
The writer has taught Business, Accounting, Management, and Economics since 1998 G.C. in higher education and international schools. He has served in academic leadership and research roles and published scholarly articles on higher education, management, quality assurance, and leadership.
He can be reached at: bedlusamson@yahoo.com bsamsonworku@gmail.com
