Creativity vs. Corporate Raider
Everything in Max De Pree’s Leadership is an Art, should be common sense. Placing people over structures, reveling in creativity, allowing experts to take the lead, and discovering that challenges are really opportunities are all things that are seemingly “Duh” statements when it comes to leadership. De Pree captures these ideals in a winsomely simple book. His presentation makes it feel like these ideals should be a given for leaders. His success as CEO for Herman Miller, Inc. puts power behind his assertions. He presents leadership as an art that is refined with practice, poetic in its simplicity, and powerful in its inclusivity.
Unfortunately, on my bookshelf at home I have at least a half-dozen books that assert leadership as a science rather than the art proposed by De Pree. While many of them incorporate some of the same ideas as De Pree, they do so as part of a formula for success within systems where people are incidental to structures (although they would never say it exactly that way.) I “grew up” in that world – the world where the bottom line is ultimately more important than people, and process/structure reigns supreme. Of course we were taught to take care of our people, encourage their creativity, and delegate to them when possible, but that was always within the framework allowed by process and structure. (I once received a “negative” comment on an evaluation for being too concerned with the well-being of one of my staff people.) The term “servant leader” was bandied about, but we all knew we were there to serve the system, not other people.
Reading De Pree’s words after spending time in Israel with Arab Christian church leaders caused me to look at the art of leadership in a different way. For almost a week I heard stories from leaders who struggle to lead with creativity and flexibility but feel the burden of leadership in a way that feels like life and death. It is their everyday reality to see challenges as opportunities but they have difficulty letting go in order to find or mentor experts to whom they feel they can trust the mission. These couples are wearing themselves out as servant leaders because they can’t (or won’t) develop the balance required of artists of leadership.
The more I reflected on this, the more frustrating I found the current leadership culture in much of the American church. We hear much about how hard it is to be a Christian in America (we have no clue what hard is), while sitting in leadership conferences that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce, rubbing elbows with well-known Christian leaders and innovators. Much of our time is spent complaining about how hard it is to get volunteers to work in our nurseries or youth ministries, or how giving is down. I don’t know how many break-out sessions I have attended on motivating people to give or to volunteer. We write vision and mission statements (which are good things) but have never really learned how to empower people to be both creators and implementers (as De Pree discusses on page 33). Instead, we are vision casters, creators, and implementers who view people as co-implementers at best. Maybe I am being hyperbolic out of my frustration, but I know too many pastors who never take a Sabbath yet choose to stay way too involved in every aspect of every process in the church. There is no artistry, only science and industry. How is it that a company that produces furniture managed to live into the artistry while we in the church often remain focused on the bottom line?
Maybe it’s the jet-lag talking, but it seems to me that the church remains part of the industrial revolution, reveling in the hierarchy born of modernism, while businesses and organizations lean in to artistry, creativity, and partnership. Of course not all churches are like this, but I easily tallied ten “stuck” churches for every one church that lives into De Pree’s principles. De Pree challenges me to step away from the corporate mentality and allow creativity and imagination to take me places I have been afraid to go.
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Kristin Hamilton
14 responses to “Creativity vs. Corporate Raider”
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“I “grew up” in that world – the world where the bottom line is ultimately more important than people, and process/structure reigns supreme.”
Church can definitely get like this – people are seen as ministry resources, a means to the end, contributors to the ultimate vision and purpose… And I certainly understand the pressures on the pastor and other leaders to fill ministry positions, to flesh out rotas, to get things done… Yet sometimes we lose sight of the people and the raw material in front of us – as von Hugel said: “there are no dittos among souls!”
It makes me sad that churches look like corporations, Geoff. Church leaders must, of course, be responsible for stewardship of resources, but somehow we have leaned into the idea of pastor as CEO rather than co-creator and facilitator. I think this has led to our high burn-out rate.
Kristin, I agree that “Instead, we are vision casters, creators, and implementers who view people as co-implementers at best. ”
I’m not sure what the answer is. It’s great to be able to discuss it with our cohort. I am sorry to say that in my previous seminary experience we took a lot of ‘leadership’ seminars where we were mostly taught “formulas for success”. The idea of servanthood may have been mixed in somewhere but I don’t remember it.
Your summary is great – “He presents leadership as an art that is refined with practice, poetic in its simplicity, and powerful in its inclusivity.” We could certainly hope the more leaders would come to see that.
It was hard for me, Mary, when I transitioned from the corporate/regulatory world into the church world and realized that many of the leadership ideals I was taught remained the same – focused on the bottom line. Even outreach and love of neighbor was defined by numbers – how many “souls saved.”
1. Leadership as science vs. art– while science isn’t necessarily driven by reason and art by emotion, that’s often the dichotomy presented. I think the key to leadership as art is keeping it personal, relationship-oriented. Even as we seek measurable standards, our relationships as persons must take precedence.
2. Israel church leaders– I agree, they are working hard with very few resources and no conferences,workshops, or “how to’s”, yet still pour themselves passionately into the people of their congregations and community. American churches seem to spend so much time talking about how to do church that we end up doing very little actual church.
3. Jet lag– sorry about that. It’s a price I’m willing to pay to travel the world. 🙂
The jet-lag isn’t too bad, Katy. Definitely worth it!
I don’t have any problem with scientific method being used where it is helpful, but it often feels like method is touted over relationships. This stood out to me in Israel as I watched the leadership team members and John work so hard to develop relationships. I have seen churches do this here, I just think it needs to be the norm.
Kristen I understand the released of some corporate views to allow free spirit (creativity) to evolve. I struggled to conceal my creative mine to be confined to corporate office politics. Now that I have retired, I know I jumped off the corporate cliff into the freedom pool and used the ‘do it my way’ stroke. I have found myself struggling to accept the corporate rules and politics again. Being a clergy member and being obedient to the corporate structure of church politics.
We must not drop one to accept the other but to understand both and allow them to merge gracefully.
I’m not sure corporate rules and politics in church need to be accepted graciously, Lynda. In my experience, the voices that challenge these things are some of the most valuable in the church. Any time politics and structures overshadow relationships and people, we are out of balance.
“We write vision and mission statements (which are good things) but have never really learned how to empower people to be both creators and implementers.” YES, this is such a relevant and undiscussed struggle for the church. I wonder how we can create a culture that nurtures the creators to create and implentors to implement?
“… the church remains part of the industrial revolution, reveling in the hierarchy born of modernism, while businesses and organizations lean in to artistry, creativity, and partnership.” Again, beautifully said. In my opinion, the church needs to be a leading example of stimulating and nurturing creativity and exemplary leadership techniques. Tragically, it often appears we are wasting valuable emotional and financial resources quibbling over unresolvable issues thus lagging behind modern culture instead of fostering advancements and creations in our church communities that inspires society. I weary of the perpetual conflicts and stagnate discussions leading to little or no results in our churches. I covet dynamic productive meetings infused with divine energy where we are bent on creating cutting-edge solutions unique to each culture. The conflict creates fearful communities where people are more concerned about being liked and accepted, and creativity becomes stifled as we sacrifice thriving for surviving. You blame jet-lag, I guess I blame a lifetime of too much stagnate thinking in church communities. Grateful for you and this progressive group of thinkers striving to make our churches healthier and more culturally relevant. Thank you for your powerful words.
It is frustrating, isn’t it Jen? I too wish we would spend our energy on creativity and innovation, especially in meeting the needs of people. I’m tired of the blame games and the gate-keeper shenanigans.
Kristin I appreciate your honesty and willingness to address the cross cultural challenges leaders face in ministry. In my experience I have seen both examples of what you have identified in your post. The crazy thing is that as believers we know thay we were created to be creative. In addition, we have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit that is working actively and cooperatively in our lives. We as leaders, especially those in ministry, should be on the forefront of how creativity and artistry are fluid management practices the empower others and champion diversity. I believe that it will be up to us who know better to be the light and show other how to lead faithfully in this way.
Creativity is hard work, Christal, and relying on the Spirit to inspire creativity means we give up control. Inviting creative collaboration scares leaders because “directing” is easier. I have seen churches and organizations that live in that creativity and their people thrive. That is what I want to see.
Kristen, great, honest post…. I really appreciated it. You said: ‘While many of them incorporate some of the same ideas as De Pree, they do so as part of a formula for success within systems where people are incidental to structures (although they would never say it exactly that way.) I “grew up” in that world – the world where the bottom line is ultimately more important than people, and process/structure reigns supreme.’
I think this is the real struggle for both many leaders and organizations…. The people have to be the priority over the process or the structure – you certainly won’t get any argument from me on that…. but while there is certainly art in living that out personally, I think there is also great importance in creating systems and structures that reinforce that as a value – that is, of course, easier said than done…. but I think it is possible and that is the work that the best leaders are working towards
I value systems and structures, Chip. I just hate systems and structures that do not consider the living, breathing people they are meant to serve (not the other way around) and that are raised to a level of what I consider idolatry because they rule above all else.