Have you ever thought that Creativity may actually keep you from being a senior leader in your church or organization? According to a survey done last year for the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology most people are attracted to leaders who remove risk and actually support and reinforce the status quo.
This is scary.
With the speed of our world and the turbulence for which we face daily, creativity should not only be encouraged but also championed as a trait of leadership that will help our organizations stay competitive and aggressive. The problem is, creative leaders come with stereotypes: Unreliable, Risky, Lazy, Forgetful, Aloof, Arrogant, Self-Consumed…and the list goes on and on.
The truth, most of these stereotypes are not true.
Our organizations need new and fresh ideas. As creative professionals it is our responsibility start destroying these and other stereotypes. It is time for us to be who God created us to be, in his image, creative leaders. We have the opportunity to set a new stereo-type: Passionate, Carrying, Desperately seeking new results, Hard working, Sensitive, In touch with emotion that creates connection, introspective, strategic, and willing to do whatever necessary to share the absolute most important story ever told in an attempt to help people experience life change.
It’s not something that we can do…it is something we must do.
We can lead and still be creative…and we will.
As a creative director and artist for over 20 years, your first and last paragraph in todays blog post are some of the best I have read in my adult life.
This says it all:
“We have the opportunity to set a new stereo-type: Passionate, Carrying, Desperately seeking new results, Hard working, Sensitive, In touch with emotion that creates connection, introspective, strategic, and willing to do whatever necessary to share the absolute most important story ever told in an attempt to help people experience life change.
It’s not something that we can do…it is something we must do.”
Thank you.
Stephen – Great encouragement for us introspective/ creative types. Because we value the process as well as the product, we may take a little longer to get there than a type A “all business” kind of leader. However, maybe the organization is healthier and the product is more remarkable.
Big thanks!
In all honesty, I don’t really have to deal much with those stereotypes because while I’m the head creative for the church where I serve, I’m also the most punctual.
Rich, deep thoughts here.
Too often, the thing that seems to hamper creatives from being all they can be seems to be immaturity. We are too sensitive, wear our emotions on our sleeves, take correction too personally, and appear unprofessional because we elevate our creativity over simple traits of professionalism, like punctuality and clear communication. A well-balanced creative can work well within the parameters of a professional organization. That’s hard for some folks – I get that.
One mentor of mine, who learned how to be a balanced leader/creative, showed me the difference between an artist, who creates whatever comes into his mind, and a developer, who serves the needs of a client. In ministry, working under the guidance (and payroll) of a pastor, we are developers, serving another man’s vision. Ultimately, he is the client, and the client is always right. Promotion to leadership comes when we are truly submitted to the authorities in our lives, even if we don’t agree with their taste. That brings a level of objectivity to a highly subjective field.
My two cents. Thanks for taking a minute to read my rant.