Lots to do today.

Get and Share some inspiration.

There is one very easy, very simple, and very affordable way for your organization to get more creative, more innovative, and more on vision – and it can happen in the next 24 hours, if you so desire:

GET DIVERSE.

As creative professionals, we tend to try really hard to protect the creative process. When we do this, it limits our ability to truly help our organizatons.

Alicia Arenas, founder and CEO of Sanera, The People Development Company, is a distinguished business consultant, coach, corporate facilitator and speaker. Alicia has been quoted saying:

“The core of diversity lies in understanding that we are better performers, better leaders, better service providers and better people when we surround ourselves with those who are different from us. However, the reality is that most adults are more comfortable with people who are just like them.”

Leaders – when we do not include the crazy creatives in some of our decisions, we are missing an element that keeps us from being our best.

Creatives – when we do not engage the rest of our organizations and their ideas, we limit not only our influence, but also our ability to impact the greater good of our organization.

Simply – when we create diverse environments, we all are much better. Diversity creates opportunity.

Do you want to get diverse? It is not as difficult as you would think:

• Start inviting people into conversations. That simple. Bring in people who are not normally part of your “world”. They will provide a unique lens and filter to your situation.
• Destroy Silos. Silos limit potential and cripple organizations. The more cross pollination that we have, the better our organizations will be. Silo busting is hard work because people who build silos built them like Fort Knox. But, when VISION and MISSION are the driving force and not method or agenda, it removes a lot of the need for a silo.
• Find Backstory. Just because someone works in one department today may not mean they ALWAYS have worked in that department. You may have hidden “consultants” inside your organization that have the ability to pull info and ideas from experienced people. Finding out about peoples past creates great options for leaders.
• Create Community Culture. Diversity thrives when community is developed. Find ways inside your normal work week to create spaces, times, and events where people from different fields interact and form relationship. The stronger the relationships your teams have, the better work place you create. Also, when people have a relationship with each other they are more willing to work and fight for each other.
• Lead with vision. Simple concept, but not as simple to execute. It takes intentionality, culture, and good leadership to keep everyone on not only the same page, but the RIGHT same page.

Do you work in a diverse environment? What are some ways you have found to cross bridges inside of your organizations?

“Wisdom begins in wonder.” – Socrates

Do you wonder? Wonder what could be? Wonder what is next? Wonder what may be possible?

Wonder has the ability to ignite creativity and ideas.

The fact that we have to work removes the ability to ALWAYS wonder, but how do we avoid the trap of business and stay in a posture that allows us to wonder?

1. Be Alert. If we want to experience the power of “wonder,” we have to stay alert. Creative stimulation is all around us but, if we are not alert, parades of creativity can pass our path and we’ll never realize what we’re missing. We should commit to documenting one thing each day that peaks our interest and makes us wonder. When we do this, we’re actually creating a list of ideas that can be used the next time we feel a creative block settling over us.

2. Ask Lots Of Questions. Without the curiosity of questions, wonder won’t exist. Asking questions clears confusion and helps to clarify expectations. When we ask questions, we define vision, direction, and opportunity. Questions often slow down the process just enough for wonder to catch its breath and create ideas.

3. Embrace The Frame. Creative people tend to desire canvases without boundaries. However, boundaries help us know when we have gone too far or if we have not gone far enough. Wonder exists inside the boundaries defined by the frames of our projects.

4. Desire a “yes, and” environment. Wonder dies in negative environments. “No” and “Can’t” tend to shut down wonder before she has a chance to do her thing. Yes opens opportunities. Yes opens doors that No slams shut. Wonder needs space and positivity to flourish. When we desire “Yes, And” environments, we create space for wonder to thrive.

Without wonder in our art, we risk the chance of becoming stale. If we want to avoid “dry seasons” of creativity, we have to cultivate a relationship with wonder and respect what wonder means to our creative process.

What would you add to the list of ways to stay in a posture of Wonder?

We all know the importance of the ten commandments – the golden rule for how we’re supposed to live our lives. But what about a golden rule for our creativity? Blogger Andrew Zahn developed a less sanctimonious list than Moses, but it’s a list that can be adapted to our creative lives. Here’s the list with a little commentary:

• 1. Give space, time and energy to your creativity. // This is HARD! Our lives are busy, so it can be difficult to be intentional with creating space for us to be our creative best. But, space is important for ideas. Once we have identified an idea, we have to give it space to grow and breathe before we try to execute it. Our best ideas reach their potential when they have space and time around them. Finally, we manage energy. It’s on us. How much energy is attributed to our creativity and our craft ultimately is managed by us – the user and steward. We all have about the same amount of space and energy and we all have the same amount of time. We are going to put our space, time, and energy somewhere. Why not put it into something we value?
• 2. Creating is an act of worship. // For those of us who are Christians, we know creating is an act of worship to the ultimate Creator of the universe. However, Zahn takes a different angle, an angle that states that when we choose to not create we are actually being “self-centered and selfish.”
• 3. Your creativity is a gift given to you. // If we’ve been given a gift, we need to cherish, honor, and protect that gift. Even more importantly, we need to share our gifts with others. Give and it shall be given unto you.
• 4. Date your artist. // Our greatest ideas are going to be birthed out of our experiences. Great art is created when artists are able to connect with emotions that are deep inside themselves. We have to be willing to explore those places to uncover the truths about the artist we are becoming.
• 5. Don’t be an expert. // Experts know it all. Students are always learning. When we accept the fact that we can always learn more, each person, project, and experience becomes an opportunity to add more tools to our tool boxes. Don’t believe the hype. You are great, but you can be greater. We should talk less and listen more, but whatever we do, we should NEVER STOP LEARNING.
• 6. Jealousy is the death of creativity. // It’s been said that jealousy is where love and hate both live together. If we want to battle jealousy, we have to do it intentionally. When we champion others, we go on the offensive against jealousy. When we want the people around us to win – no matter the cost – it not only builds great teams, but it removes the temptation to be in competition with one another. Champion and celebrate others at every opportunity.
• 7. Don’t give up. Don’t give up. // EVER! And if you think about giving up, stop. Take a breath. Then, keep going.
• 8. You have what it takes. . . now. // God created you. He knew you would be uniquely YOU! If you’re honest with yourself, you probably don’t think you’re good enough for the challenge in front of you. Thats GOOD! If you felt you COULD handle it, that would mean you were able to take the credit for it. When you know you can’t handle it, you have to have an element of faith and trust. Those two ingredients are activators for our best creative endeavors. So, stop doubting. Start believing. Never stop working.
• 9. Authenticity breeds beauty. // Anyone can duplicate something that has been created. You, however, have walked a road no other artist has traveled. That road gives you the permission to create art that no other artist can create. Create out of that place, and you wont have to worry if you are duplicating.
• 10. Want what you already have. // Stop comparing. Stop creating excuses. Stop hesitating. Use what’s in front of you, control what you can control, and create something today that moves you and your organization forward!

Do you resonate with these commandments?

When we start any new endeavor, we really have nothing to lose. We know we’re going to have to do some things different than everyone else or we’re never going to break through the clutter. We have this belief that we can do something that no one has done before – so, we go for it. And why not?

Then, we fail.

We try something else. And we may have to even repeat this process a couple of times until, one day, it actually works. We start to have success. Our success propels us forward. We start to gain momentum and people start to notice. At first, it’s intoxicating, but then we realize that the same people who were noticing are now duplicating what we do…and our success has become the new norm – or the formula.

At one moment we may have been flattered by this. Now, we’re bothered. The same instincts on the inside that made us uncomfortable being “normal” at the beginning are now screaming that we have become the norm. We are thankful for our success, but we’re uneasy because we know in order to really live – to really “succeed” – we are going to have to change. We know that, as soon as we have become the norm, it’s time to blow it up and try something new or we’re not going to really be living.

This time it’s much more difficult. We have momentum. We have responsibility. We have set expectations. While we desire to chase our hearts and instincts – the same ones that propelled us to succeed – we are scared. What if it doesn’t work this time? What if we fail? What if people don’t like it? What if people don’t like us? What if we become “odd” again? What if we stop being applauded? What if….?

But what if it does!
What will you do?

We were born to do this. Let’s not waste this opportunity. Without you following that voice we can’t move forward. Don’t Be Safe.

What have you seen this week that can kick us in the pants!

I wonder what would happen if we…

• didn’t care who got the credit.
• had enough confidence to champion others.
• encouraged each other to take risks and try the ideas that make our hearts pound.
• were more afraid of being accepted than failing.
• took a minute to realize how grateful we should be.
• stopped complaining and used that energy to be our best.
• followed our instincts as much as we follow twitter.
• promised to enjoy our jobs and the opportunity we have to create.
• refused to quit.
• refused to copy.
• refused to settle.
• were willing to face down our fear.
• would focus on hearing, not being heard.
• spent as much time dreaming as doing.
• accepted that failure is a chance to learn and grow.
• understood that being different is a gift, not a curse.
• tried new things more often.
• committed to change.
• stopped waiting.

How much could we change the world?

What do you wonder?

Photo Props

We get lost.

The pace of creation and production pulls at our attention. Even our own ideas and art creation can make our vision blurry. We have a limited bandwidth from which we can navigate this terrain.

But around us – every day, every minute, every second – are important triggers.

Words, images, thoughts, books, conversations, nature, happenings…..

When we’re not alert, when we get so busy we stop paying attention, we miss what could be the trigger to some of our most important ideas.

It takes intentionality.

We have to lift our heads up and take inventory of what is around us. We have to be aware.

Our greatest creative moments may be taking place right in front of us and – because we are not intentionally breaking our stride, paying attention to our worlds, and depositing rather than always withdrawing – we risk missing some great art and opportunity.

Are you paying attention or are you focused on production?

As creative professionals, we understand the power of an idea executed.

Each idea requires action. Once we take action, we then have the opportunity to learn from the success or failure of that decision. What we learn from this process is that we all have the ability to identify and execute amazing creative ideas that become solutions.

So what keeps us from doing this daily…or even hourly?

“RESTING IN OUR NORMAL”

We get stuck in a certain way of thinking. We fall victim to our previous success and start to “repeat”. We become paralyzed by the fear of failing, not willing to try something totally different that could propel us to success because the risk is too high. But why?

We tend to get caught resting in our normal way of thinking. So, how do we break out of the our normal way of thinking?

• STEP BACK – Take a step back and survey the entire situation. Collect the data. Write the facts, the equation, the variable, and identify the components that we can control. Ask questions and identify the core issues or desired results.
• IMAGINE THE IMAGE – Start to create scenarios and talk them out with our team. This will help us picture possibilities and outcomes. It creates options for us. When we imagine what could be, it forces us out of our normal space and allows our creativity to contribute to the conversation.
• SEEK IDEAS – Create a list of ideas that could help us resolve the issue. Ideas are the life blood of our creative teams.
• IDENTIFY WHAT IS ACTIONABLE – What can we make “TO DO”. Delegate these to team members so the task becomes scalable.
• SEEK WISDOM – When we are needing insight or direction, we have to ask. Ask other creative people and ask people outside of our circles so that they can contribute unique angles to our project, issue, or situation.
• STUDY AND FIND INSPIRATION – Go to where you learn. Blogs, magazines, film, music, books, conversation. Allow yourself to be stimulated and break your normal thought process. Often when going to our stimulators, we need to try something different. Listen to music that you have never heard. Read a new book. Find a magazine you have never checked out. Also, changing our canvas changes our perspective.
• ONCE YOU MAKE A DECISION…GO – Don’t second guess it. Don’t listen to the voices that will chase you towards fear. Make a decision and GO WITH IT. If you fail, at least you will fail with passion, gusto, and by breaking your norm. There are just as many lessons in failure as there are in success.

Are you ready to break normal thinking?

What have you learned that helps break these traps?

Photo Props

Some of the most common conversations amongst creative people revolve around our leaders, bosses, and co-workers “not getting us”. Duh! We are creative people and that alone makes us a little freaky for the scared status quo. We truly are a “peculiar people” and that’s not a good thing, it’s a GREAT thing. God created us so that we would be able to do things that no one else can. So how do we develop leadership beyond our creative caves inside of organizations? How do we gain respect when people feel we are flakes? How do we help people in our organizations see us beyond just the odd music and trendy attire?

Here are a few traits that can earn anyone respect inside of their organizations:

1. Identify your organization’s vision and what you can contribute to executing the vision and the values…tangibly.

2. Seek the gaps between the vision and the reality. Then, fill them!

3. Demolish stereotypes. Show up on time. Think beyond just our art. Be budget and time consciences.

4. Identify one thing each day you can do or have done to escalate momentum in your department and the organization.

5. When you make a promise, keep it. At all costs. Nothing kills equity faster than over-promising and under-delivering. Start to over-promise and over-deliver.

6. Create the space to focus on what is NEXT, as well as how you can be a better resource.

7. Communicate more and more often. Help your organization avoid surprises. Over-communicate expectations, reality, and everything in-between.

8. Figure out how to delegate. Make a list what you do, then note what could be done by someone else.

9. Identify the silos and bottlenecks. Then, work diligently to break them down.

10. Ask WHY. Why do we do this? Why have we not changed? Why is this important?

11. Approach the day as if you own the organization. If you are an owner, you treat responsibility different than if you are as a worker or a renter.

13. Identify the unusual. The stuff that makes you and your organization different from anyone else in your space. Then, maximize the heck out of those unique things.

14. Understand that excellence matters, but so does shipping. Perfect and not shipped means nothing.

15. Don’t deviate from the mission. Vision and mission are your core. Feed them.

16. Reinforce your culture at every opportunity. Identify it, call it out, and make it known. Then, repeat. Use every coaching opportunity to reinforce culture and values.

17. Trust the people around you that you know share your DNA and have the desire to enhance your organization.

18. Don’t be a lone ranger. If you are doing something and it drifts from vision, quit immediately.

19. Remember it’s an honor to get to create and do ministry for a living. Never, ever take it for granted.

20. Work hard. Simple, but never out of style. A great work ethic earns respect faster than any other possible trait.

This is not for everyone. But it is for anyone who wants to continue to grow as creative leaders and contributors to their organizations.

What would you add to the list?

What did you find in the past week that got you going?

1. We start to believe we have arrived. Success makes us believe we
have done all we can do and have developed a form of accomplishment. When we get comfortable we stop hustling and take for granted the success we have been blessed with.

2. We stop believing there is more to be done. Unmanaged success removes the challenge. When we were hungry, we were challenged by our jobs and opportunities. The minute we stop having vision, we have embraced a posture of comfort.

3. We forget there is someone who is better than us. Every day, someone new is arriving with more talent than we have, who will work harder, and who has better ideas. Being lazy breeds arrogance.

4. We stop listening to the coach. There is always more we can learn, uncover, develop, and be taught. When we stop being teachable, we start regressing – both creatively and as a leader.

5. We forget there is someone who wants what we are taking for granted. When we are hungry, we are hunters. We are chasing opportunity and challenge. We look for things to accomplish. When we get lazy, we become the hunted. We position ourselves in a place where we stop chasing and start being chased.

6. We lose sight of the fact that we are responsible to steward our resources, leadership, and talents. When we stop stewarding, we start grazing. Leadership and creativity are a gift. We are responsible for them and when we stop doing what it takes to manage them, we start to lose the equity we have built.

7. We lose intensity. This one is scary. When we lose intensity, we
don’t have the ambition to make adjustments, fight, and enhance our
worlds. Intensity makes us get up excited in the morning to come face
the challenges because we have vision for what we get to accomplish. A loss
of intensity often can be traced back to a loss of clarity of vision or expectation. Intensity is something we get to control, so we have to make sure we are keeping it high.

8. Rather than creating, we remix stuff we have already created. Simple as that. We start mailing it in and get a little lazy. We trade the excitement of creating for the comfort of completing.

Greatness is special. Greatness makes people leave talking about the things
we create. We have the ability to create really great things if we are willing to do the work required to push for excellence in the last 10%. Everyone starts well, but greatness happens when we plan, execute, and finish with the same passion that we start.

Have you ever noticed yourself getting lazy?
If so, what do you do to break out of that posture?

Leadership is intangible, and therefore no weapon ever designed can replace it. – Omar N. Bradley

Here are a few traits I have learned working for and with some amazing leaders. (with the obvious Christian focus removed):

1. Set the tone and set it with passion and audacity.

2. Avoid drama and create peace.

3. Think positive, but realistic.

4. Lead by serving.

5. Act as much as they talk.

6. Ensure that their words and actions align; own and correct it when they don’t.

7. Plan.

8. Know they don’t have all the answers all the time.

9. Ask questions more than you make statements.

10. Trust their team to do their jobs.

11. Set and articulate expectations.

12. Insist on results.

13. Delegate. Then, delegate more.

14. Give others credit.

15. Listen. Listen. Listen. Then respond.

16. Have compassion, but don’t be fooled.

17. Respond instead of react.

18. Hire talented, young, future leaders and trust them even when they fail…and never stop investing in them.

19. Know their idea is not always the best idea.

20. Never stop learning.

What are traits you look for in a leader? What traits are you attempting to model?

“Make Art Not Friends”…kind of a punk thing to say.

The funny thing about popular clichés is that they are often true.

“There is no such thing as a free lunch”

“It’s too good to be true”

“Ideas are a dime a dozen”

All true.

Ideas are a dime a dozen. Everyone has them.

So, what are we doing to ensure that our ideas will grow beyond clichés?

We have to start by making the decision to be a professional, not a punk -

• Pro’s come to work. They approach their work with focus, intentionality, and understanding. They embrace the necessity to be an owner, not just a renter, of their opportunities.
• Pro’s respect the gift they have received; the gift to get to do what they love as an occupation.
• Pro’s share praise with their teams, but shoulder responsibility.
• Pro’s avoid excuses and complaining. They find opportunity inside of obstacles.
• Pro’s ask “why”, then move to “and”. “Why” – to make sure we are on mission, then “and” – to enhance the ideas.
• Pro’s find ways to control their emotions. They respond instead of reacting.
• Pro’s focus on vision, not division. There will be problems in every idea, but pro’s figure out how to overcome these adversities rather than allowing them to derail the process and momentum.
• Pro’s stay on task.
• Pro’s set expectations, and then meet them. Never over promise and under deliver. It hurts everyone.
• Pro’s fight for what’s right, not just what benefits them.
• Pro’s do what it takes to start, execute, finish, and succeed.
• Pro’s figure out how to not take it personal.
• Pro’s never stop learning. The cost is too high to stop.

What are some of the traits you find in professionals you admire?
You are a professional.
You are committed.
We need you!

Photo Props:

Creative people are liars.

It’s a fact. A recent study conducted by professors from Harvard and Duke University have identified that creative people have a problem with honesty. According to the study that was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the same people who are gifted with looking at problems differently – seeing things others don’t – and have the “intellectual spark to think outside the box” are prone to drift into indulgences like telling lies, cheating, and general dishonesty.

And you know what…it’s true.

Creative people are liars.

The odd thing is, the lies start with us lying to ourselves.

We lie to ourselves when we believe we aren’t good enough.

We lie to ourselves when we believe that God didn’t give us the gifts that make us unique.

We lie to ourselves when we believe we always have to fit in or be accepted.

We lie to ourselves when we believe that the work is too hard.

We lie to ourselves when we believe that our dreams are too big.

We lie to ourselves when we believe that everyone should understand us.

We lie to ourselves when we believe that we don’t have the ability to change the world through the art we are creating.

Stop telling lies.

Stop believing lies.

We are the ones who have been chosen to write this chapter of history.

We are the ones who have been chosen to write this chapter of history. What will your page say today? What lies will you stop believing?

“Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.”
David Frost

The secret to creative success is simple: there is no secret.

Success in any creative endeavor is more about cooking a great meal than it is about magic.

Magicians set up a trick, then – POOF – the result is done and in front of us. It’s secretive and usually deceptive. Magic, once uncovered, loses its mystery.

Chef’s take their time. They seek the best ingredients. They look for the right mixtures and blends. They understand a great meal is built around more than just one thing. It takes a commitment, a lot of small tasks, a lot of small additions, a few subtractions, the right temperature, and a lot of intentionality to cook a great meal.

The same is true with our best ideas – they require commitment. We have to know where we are going and what we are cooking. We have to find the best ingredients. The best temperature. Be willing to add and subtract things we love in order to create the perfect blend. Then, we have to execute it with precision, intentionality, and make our best ideas delicious.

Success is not built around one thing. It takes prayer, hard work, passion, hustle, talent, effort, calling, and a lot of intentionality.

What are some of the most important ingredients you have found for your success?

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” – Oprah Winfrey

The truth is this:
We’re all busy.
We all get tired.
Life is not fair.
Things rarely go as planned.
Stuff does not always work out.

But, the truth is also this: we get to focus on how we approach all situations. It’s hard to find inspiration with our vision filled with negativity, doubt, fear, and worry – especially when we need to be our creative best.

We have a choice in how we approach our lives and our work.

As the creative force in our organizations, it’s up to us to set the tone. If we want our creativity to grow, we have to find the positive in all our situations. And the truth is that there is usually positivity waiting to be uncovered.

So our new truth is this:
We get to tell the greatest story ever told.
We have the honor to do our job or our ministry.
We can get refreshed and refilled by reconnecting to our vision.
While life is not fair, we get to do what we do, and impact the lives of other people.
Things don’t always go as planned, but we have been gifted with creativity that helps us adapt, adjust, and make things work.
When everything fails…we get to come back tomorrow and do it again.

How are you approaching your work, life, and creativity?

What are some things that are inspiring you this week?

Remember when we first started? Every day we did something for the first time. Innovation was not a goal, it was a necessity…and it worked. It worked really well. In fact, it worked so well we found some things we got REALLY good at doing and we shifted from innovating to executing. During that shift, we started to get scared of innovation because innovation and new ideas might change the methods we found that worked. We traded new ideas and innovation for successful execution. It’s an honest situation, but it gets scary. When we stop innovating and ONLY execute, we stop growing creatively.

It’s a fight every single day to avoid this very tempting trap. Never sacrifice great for good. So, how do we make sure we continue to innovate? How do we get unstuck if we have slipped into “execution only” mode?

1. Identify the innovators on our teams. Who are the people who have not gotten sucked into the norm? Lean on them. Usually, they are going to be new to our organization. They tend to be young and not know what is or isn’t acceptable. Some of them may be attendees or volunteers. They have a different lens and filter. It’s key to LISTEN more than we TALK to these people. Empower them to use their voice…it does not mean you’re a bad leader, it actually means you’re a smart leader.

2. Ask Questions About Everything. Questions inspire creativity. Statements cement fear. Why can’t we change this? Why would we not want to try something different. How can we make this better. How will people respond if we adjust this thing?

3. Embrace Teams. If we have ideas we know will work but we don’t have the bandwidth to pull them off, create a team to work on the idea. Pull people from other areas and task them to work together. It will help your creative culture and help get things done. An hour of intentional work will move the ball. Further, people working on projects that are outside of their area will be more creative through the process. This is a great space for testing before an idea gets too costly or too far down the line if it’s not viable.

4. Focus on passion, not job description. If someone is passionate about something, create space for them to work on that idea or project. Just because it doesn’t fit in their job description doesn’t mean they can’t excel at these endeavors. Some of our best projects or ideas will come from passion, not paper.

5. Study Others. As connected as we all are, we can learn from one another better now than at any time in our history. Use twitter, Facebook, internet campuses, podcasts, blogs, and email to find out the HOW and the WHY of people we admire. Technology allows us to be closer than ever. Take advantage of the tools, but don’t stop studying. Always be ready to share what we are learning with our teams. This will also help you identify some unique new ideas that may not be happening in your community or in the world, for that matter.

6. Be Intentional With Creativity. Don’t assume ideas are coming. Change the canvas often. Be intentional with creating space for ideas to be developed. Invest in creativity and culture. It does not have to cost a lot to break the norms of the day. Getting out of the routine will help you get back to everyday innovation.

7. Put Execution Into Vision. I know it sounds like an odd idea to break out of execution mode by executing, but our new ideas will never change our norm if don’t put them into action. As we develop the new things God has for us, we have to be sure they fit into our vision. If they don’t, we are just trying to be cool or different for the sake of being cool or different. That is never successful. Never waiver for the vision, but never let grass grow under our feet by not putting ideas into action.

How do you fight the temptation of executing more than you innovate?

Our best and most creative ideas are created from the things that occupy our fascination. When we allow ourselves to follow our fascinations, we can quickly accelerate the amount of good ideas we have, problems we can solve, and inspiration that we can harness. But often, we don’t. We allow the pace of our days, our responsibility, even stuff we love to keep us from the things that fascinate us. We chock our fascinations up to fantasy when the truth is they are the fuel for our future reality.

Renowned innovation expert Mitch Ditkoff has developed a formula for harnessing our fascination:

1. Suspend Reality. Find space to perform this exercise.
2. On a piece of paper, create three parallel headlines — the first, “What Fascinates Me,” the second, “People I Admire,” and the third, “What I Would Do If I Had More Time.”
3. Jot down at least five responses under each headline.
4. Look for connections between your various responses.
5. Write down your inspired ideas. Then, circle your favorite.

Once we have identified our fascinations, we become responsible for using them to help us be more creative, more efficient, and more aware of how the things we have been wired to love can help us change our worlds.

What are some of the things that fascinate you the most?

Childlike creativity is amazing. Kids know no boundaries or barriers…they just create.

A study performed by Amiable & Hennessy, researchers for the Harvard Business Review, uncovered several “Creativity Killers” for school age children – some of which also impact adults. The six “sure fire ways to crush children’s (or adult’s) creativity” look like this:

• Surveillance – Putting people under a microscope and making them feel like they’re being watched rarely produces great art. Any time we have to apply surveillance, we probably have made the wrong hire, do not have enough trust in our teams, or are being way too controlling.
• Extreme Evaluation – Extreme evaluation crushes a kid’s confidence. Likewise, it can crush an adult’s confidence. We need to learn to coach, develop, and articulate desired results. When dealing with creative people, it’s important to remember the emotions required to actually create. Without that contact to our feelings, we lose the ability to create from our core. Evaluation is necessary, extreme evaluation just kills creativity.
• Unhealthy Competition – Focusing on competing with ourselves to create our best work. Competition can be a motivation, but it rarely works when it’s used as manipulation. When we build a culture of winners – a culture that is always attempting to bring out the best in ourselves – we are often enabled to outdo our “competition”.
• Over-control – Micro-managing how your children accomplish tasks. We never excel when we are micro-managed. As creatives, it’s so important that we under promise and over deliver so we avoid the need for micro-management. Anyone who has been micro-managed knows the impact it has on our creative thought, process, and ability.
• Restricting choice – Hinders kids from tapping into their curiosity. Curiosity is vital to creation. When we restrict choices, we pull options off the table. This might be a healthy exercise to jumpstart the brainstorming process, but it’s not healthy when troubleshooting problems or trying to come up with new ways to destroy the status quo in our organizations.
• Unreal Expectations – Setting expectations that cannot be met. We have to be real with what is possible, what can be created, and clearly communicate those expectations in a healthy, honest, and constructive way.

Once we have identified these creativity killers, we are able to be more supportive and cultivate environments where our best creative content can excel. Finding out what kills creativity can go a long way in helping promote creative process.

We need to always be sure we are:

• Giving plenty of space for the creative process and creativity to thrive.
• Encouraging our creative teams. Creative people must know it’s safe for them to create and have the confidence necessary to try things that have never been tried before.
• Helping focus our teams on getting better project-by-project. You can’t expect to pull off Cirque du Soleil when you have not been able to complete one worship song correctly. Pace. Get better in steps so you can win as a team.
• The minute we feel we are micro-managing, step back and allow our teams to succeed or fail. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to our creative process is for it to break so we can get better.
• Providing options, not barriers. Look for opportunities and avoid restrictive language like “Can’t”, “Won’t”, or “Never”.
• Always being clear on our expectations. Articulate what can be done and how, when, what is desired. You will never go wrong when you have defined expectations.

What are some of the things you feel kills your creativity? What are solutions to help build more conducive environments for creating.

Over the past few months, I have had the privilege to talk to a lot of the creative class working in churches. The biggest frustration that seems to be existing is what I call “the resistance of my pastor.” Now, I have to be honest: I don’t face this resistance. In fact, I feel my pastor pushes me to stretch the boundaries. But I get it – I really do. So, here are a few things I have learned that might help you as a creative leader learn to co-exist with your pastor or pastoral team:

• Have respect. No one is always right, but you knew who the pastor was when you took the job. Respect your pastor, honor him, and continue to work hard for him – even when he does not like your ideas.
• If you are honest with yourself, is there a reason you are facing resistance? Have you checked your work ethic? Are you handling yourself appropriately? Are you owning your job or renting it? Are you meeting expectations? I have found that most of the time resistance is being encountered because at some point, trust has been lost between the pastor and the person facing the resistance. Find out why and fix it…TODAY.
• Walk in his shoes for a minute. He is running an entire organization. He has to account for everyone, not just the creative team. He may be seeing things you are not seeing and he knows things that are happening in the organization that you don’t know about yet. Trust him.
• Find a work around. Every pastor has a few things they care about more than anything else. Take the time to find out what your pastor cares about and deliver on those things. If you end up spending 50% of your time making sure that the things he cares about are taken care of, it will still leave you with 50% of your time to go develop, create, and innovate for your ministry.
• Be willing to be wrong. Understand that not every idea we have as a creative class is a great idea. Accept it and learn to allow yourself to be corrected.
• Remember who had the baby. When you work for a pastor who birthed a church, you have to remember that it is his child. God entrusted him with it and he is closer to it than you. Be a great steward of the work in front of you and try to go above and beyond to help this baby grow, mature, and develop.
• Worry more about creating momentum than being right. Your pastor has a desire for your church to grow. Worry more about doing things that will birth momentum in your organization than you are about being right. Being right and losing families or momentum wont help anyone.
• “He does not get my process.” Duh. That’s why he hired you. Explain it so he understands why you are doing what you are doing. Then, if that still does not clear up the situation, adjust. You are a creative person. You were made to adjust. Creative people must be the most flexible in the organization because we are leading the charge towards growth, change and new.
• Remember the law of age. Young people have great ideas; older people know how to get things done. Don’t freak out if your ideas meet resistance. If you are passionate about them, find ways to make them work and stop using the excuse that your pastor wont let you. If you earn his trust, he will let you.
• Hard work is the best bridge. Rarely do we hear about people being criticized for hard work. So, if you feel you are running into a brick wall, find ways to accomplish your goals INSIDE the structure of the organization. Work hard. Work harder than anyone else and you will develop trust that will allow your innovation to take shape.

We will continue this list at another time…

What have you found that helps you create in an environment where your boss may not understand what you are trying to accomplish?

Creativity in leadership is expected more today than ever before. About 18 months ago, IBM sourced 150 CEO’s to ask what the most important trait in leadership had become. More than two thirds claimed creativity as the new go-to trait. This is not surprising in a world where innovation is quickly becoming the new “norm” and scaring the establishment. I mean, 15 years ago you still used a phone in your home with a cord. Now, you send emails from the phone in your pocket.

But, how does creativity translate in leadership? It’s not just marketing or ideation, creativity plays out best in leadership when it is allowed to be a natural extension of the person who stewards it; when the creative leader is allowed to look at situations, problems, systems, cultures, and then handle each scenario differently. See, it’s not as much about sitting around coming up with cool ideas or sexy campaigns as it is about doing the necessary work to find new and better ways to reach our goals.

There is no field where this could be more true than in our church world. We’ve fallen in love with our methods almost as much as our message. We’ve stopped innovating in ministry and have allowed our methods to determine what we do and when we do it. We’ve stopped creatively customizing ministry to meet the needs of our community! The reason that some churches are connecting better than others is not because of cool videos, good music or great programs. It’s because they’ve stopped being safe, challenged their methods, and started to lead creatively in their communities. These churches started to get creative with how they minister and started to GIVE something different.

Your organization is not going to morph form Xerox of the 80′s to Apple in a week. But, as the creative force of your organization, start to make small steps towards where you know you need to go. Start to challenge the status quo and ask a lot of questions. Stop accepting mediocre. If you know where we need to go, start taking us there. But, be steadfast…it WILL BE MESSY. Change creates FRICTION…and a lot of it. You will not win all the popularity contests, either, because change and creative leadership challenge our systems. People LOVE systems – but a lot of times, they’re broken. We need you to step up and help us fix it. Start today.

There are so many variables in our lives that we can’t control – things like weather, nature, or other people’s actions or intentions. But there is something that we have total control over…how we do our work. We have control over what we do, how invested we are in what we do, and how we prioritize our time. We control how hard we work, when we rest, and how much prep we put into our project. We control our hustle.

• Hustle is a mentality.
• Hustle is not just our work ethic, it’s our approach to how we work.
• Hustle makes us do things others simply refuse to engage.
• Hustle is not mystic, hustle is practical.
• Hustle takes prioritizing and delegating.
• Hustle requires doing the hard work; the work that moves good to great.
• Hustle is going the extra extra mile.
• Hustle is the streets and the office.
• Hustle is being prepared so we have options.
• Hustle is getting to work, not having to work.
• Hustle is not based on salary, title, or resources.
• Hustle doesn’t allow excuses.
• Hustle doesn’t understand “can’t”.
• Hustle is setting other people up to win.
• Hustle is clearing obstacles, not allowing them to keep you from your goal.
• Hustle is the last 10% when 90% would do just fine.
• Hustle is the last tweak that most people wouldn’t notice.
• Hustle is going with your gut when you know it won’t be popular.
• Hustle is following that voice that says ‘this is crazy’.
• Hustle is getting up no matter how many times you’re knocked down.
• Hustle can’t stop.

We need your hustle. If you don’t hustle, we can’t be all that we’re intended to be.

Are you hustling? How do you define hustle? How do you engage a hustler’s mentality?

Leading a creative team is a heavy responsibility. Creative teams tend to be a little messy, a little emotional, and even a bit eccentric. The normal rules in management or leadership may not always apply. Everyday we learn new things about our teams and our selves that help us to find new ways to accomplish the goals that we are tasked to create. Leading a creative team starts with understanding of creative people. As creative teams create, they leave small traces of their DNA on each element created. It is a unique element to our discipline. Here is a short list of tools necessary to lead a healthy team.

• If you do not care more than anyone else, if you are not willing to be a hustler, quit now.
• Put together a team of people who care about the work at hand. If there is not a high level of caring, when things get hard people will quit.
• Protect that team. Let them know they are protected so they can do their best work. It is our job as leaders to be the buffer between the creative force and the rest of our organization.
• Set expectations early and repeat them often. Creative people need the reminder and must be clear on what is expected. If it is not clear there will be misunderstandings. What is expected? When is it expected? What should it look and feel like?
• Only have meetings when necessary. Let people work so they can accomplish the goals necessary.
• If you have to have meetings, take a lot of notes and follow up in email to keep expectations clear.
• Make sure roles are clear. Everyone should know what they are to do and how it is to be done. Create space for people to be creative, but build healthy bumpers around our teams.
• Keep superiors in the know. Make sure you are updating and keeping everyone as current as possible on how things are progressing. Be a champion for the members of your team.
• Edit often. Always look for ways to remove rather than add…simple is better.
• Be urgent about what we have to accomplish, but dont become reactionary.
• Take time to celebrate wins. As frequently as possible. And praise those who made the wins happen.
• Under promise and over deliver. The opposite will destroy trust in our teams.
• Manage the process. If people start to slip on performance, be willing to have hard conversations.
• Bad news never gets better with time. Share it early so there is time to adjust rather than waiting and not having margin to adjust.
• Create space for inspiration and creativity. That is the core of the work so if we are not creating space for this to happen, we will not create our best work.

This is not the definitive list, but it is a solid starting point. What are some of your best practices in leading creative teams? What would you add to this list? What do you wish your boss knew about leading a creative team?