Learning Leadership

What I Learned in 2011: Creativity Cannot Be Rushed

Another thing I learned in 2011 is that creativity cannot be rushed.

I think this is a great principle for leaders to understand because leaders have a responsibility to think creatively and foster creative environments for the people they lead.

The principle that creativity cannot be rushed was raised when I wrote my first book. To be honest, I believe my book could have been better if I did not rush so much to complete it. I wrote the book start-to-finish in less than 10 months. Now that I know creativity cannot be rushed I am taking time to write my next book tentatively titled, Serve Those Leaders: A Biblical Guide to Effectively Serving the Leader(s) You Work Under.

Now when I work on projects (especially writing projects) I take plenty of time. When I am working on an article to write or a thought to develop, I take time to allow it to sit and work itself out. I might spend two weeks thinking through and writing out some thoughts for an article. Often when I prepare a Bible study I begin studying the passage of scriptures weeks in advance with the hope to allow what I am thinking to improve and form.

An example of how a leader stops creativity is when he delegates and assigns tasks to others with little notice before the deadline. When a project or task has to be done the same day a leader gives it to someone it causes the person trying to do the work to simply get the job done by the deadline and does not allow the person to think creatively.

Much research has been done showing the positive effects taking time to "sleep on it" when it comes to important decisions or problems that must be solved. When a leader assigns tasks and projects to others with ample time for those team members to think about, work on, and sleep on the work, it allows them to think creatively and perform better work.

In 2011 I definitely learned that creativity cannot be rushed either for myself or the people whom I lead. That is why I try to get an early head start on my work and I do my best to delegate work as soon as I can so others do not have to rush their creativity either.

Question: How do you keep from rushing creativity?

Thinking Biblically

While reading the book, Jesus Driven Ministry by Ajith Fernando I have enjoyed hisemphasis on Christian leaders’ need to live Biblical lives that show Jesus actively being at work.

His chapter titled, “Saturated in the Word” helps to bring that point home and show us that, “If we are to live holy lives, we need to be saturated with the Word” (pg 90). The Bible helps to show us what we are supposed to look like as Christian leaders of character and how we should act both publicly and privately.

Fernando further expands on the necessity of reading the Bible and the change that happens in our lives when he writes, “being anchored to the Word of God also gives security and firmness to our ministries. The path of obedience in ministry is not very easy to follow, as it often goes against our natural inclinations. Sometimes when we are obedient to God, others might think we are fools, and even we ourselves might wonder” (pg 93).

This reminds me of a talk Francis Chan recently gave where he was sharing his heart for selling his home and moving his family to Asia to do ministry there instead of at their California church. He explained that many of his wife’s friends had made comments about how weird their decision was and how difficult it was for her friends to understand. However, Francis humbly shared that when he reads the Bible and thinks Biblically, their decision does not seem weird at all. In fact, when he reads his Bible and thinks Biblically, the decision to sell everything and move to do ministry sounds very much like what was happening in Acts.

This is a good reminder that reading the Bible is vital for us transforming into the Christian leaders we are meant to be and that along that way others might not understand our thinking or decisions because we are operating based on the Bible’s view, not the world’s view.

Question: What does it mean for you to think biblically?