Reflections on The Creative Leader by Ed Young

I just finished reading The Creative Leader: Unleashing the Power of Your Creative Potential. It’s been an enjoyable and challenging read. I don’t know that I would ever do ministry just the way Ed does, but that’s really kind of the point – duplication and imitation squelches creativity.

As we’ve journeyed through change at Bethel, we’ve witnessed some friction here and there. God has graciously bound us together and I feel great about our unified direction, but one portion of the book ministered to my heart for days on end – it was a timely word.

Pay attention to what people have to say and evaluate their suggestions honestly. But don’t allow their fear of change to cause you creative cramps… Creativity is a long-term investment. If your top leaders are not totally committed to the vertical vision, then fear of friction will dismantle this God-given virtue. At Fellowship, we do not value upsetting people, but we do value upsetting their equilibrium to challenge them for spiritual growth… To be sure, creativity must be biblically driven and it must honor God. However, when we have our people off balance, we have a great potential to catch them off guard with a powerful punch from the pages of Scripture… It is very tempting to want to please people, but leaders often experience leadership cramps when they allow their vision to be compromised to appease a few negative people. Once the vision goes horizontal, disaster will follow.

One of the toughest aspects of leadership for me is finding the confidence to lead with conviction regardless of the reactions of people. We all want to be liked, and praise is one of the most dangerous traps for leaders. We certainly ought to be listeners and learners or we’ll stunt our growth, but at the end of the day, God has called us to lead, and if we aren’t leading, we aren’t leaders. (Profound, I know!)

This book has challenged me to be more creative in how I minister to people, how I present the word, and to be willing to do what it takes to reach people instead of just trying to keeping the fish tank peaceful. I highly recommend that every leader get this book, read it, and apply it by exploring your God-implanted creativity.