The Wisdom of Cultivation : the Leadership Journey of Becoming.
This week’s foray into Illuminaire: Bringing Life & Light to Leaders Across The World gave me a gift in the phrase, “the journey of becoming” [1]. It was not long ago, in 2021 to 2022, that I was in a major transition in my leadership journey for a year and a half, and what I experienced viscerally in that liminal space was both painful and necessary. I was learning the importance of trust, of operating out of spiritual rather than positional authority, and of my own struggle with pride. I learned the difference between building on my own gregariousness and building capacity in others. Awakening to these realities in transition has allowed me to be open to other adjustments, and to embrace the ‘becoming’ aspects of leading in the latest season.
Karise Hutcheson published Volume One of Illuminaire, the premiere publication of the Illuminaire Leadership Institute, which she founded in 2022. Hutchinson is also a Professor of Leadership at Ulster University, writes on leadership in academic journals and published a book in 2018 called Leadership and Small Business: The Power of Stories. With a goal of bringing the wisdom from academics to leaders where they are, she offers in Illuminaire what she calls the triangulation of three elements: the science of the latest research data, the strategy of applying the wisdom of experienced leaders, and the perpetual stories of leaders that require deep listening [2]. These offer depth but are beautifully accompanied with art to “inspire and speak without words” [3]. I want to highlight three concepts which I believe are crucial for the leadership journey of becoming.
Seeking sustainability.
Using the metaphor of tending a garden, Hutcheson discusses health in leadership. She writes, “less is known about the health warning that comes with leadership and, more importantly, how leaders can put in place strategies to help them sustain and enjoy the journey” [4]. This coupling of sustainability and enjoyment rooted in health call leaders to take stock of their internal health, and the environments they create. For years, I served my denomination as a “pastor among the pastors” — a Regional Minister. My role was to be a coach and an alongside support for the leaders personally. Many of them faced isolation and loneliness in their Christian service, not many had deep friendships, or felt they didn’t have someone looking out for them. No wonder that the emphasis on pastors’ holistic health, self-compassion and self-care seems to be growing. Hutcheson places the primary responsibility on the leaders themselves, asking, “What about the leader? Who looks out for them? What does the research tell us about how they should take responsibility for healthy leadership” [5]? Attending to internal health is a place to start developing sustainability. And taking stock of what will build margin. Hutcheson’s equation is instructive, that “MARGIN = POWER – LOAD”. We can take stock of the resources we have, and the internal, context, and interpersonal weights that create load. It is imperative to live with a disciplined call to build and keep margin [6].
Cultivating creative leadership.
Despite having studied numerous theories of leadership, Hutcheson’s “creative leadership” was a new concept for me. It works with Peter Northouse’s definition in Leadership: Theory and Practice, in which he maps out a common influential process for many different models of leadership. “Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” [7]. Here the idea of allowing creative ideas to be generated, evaluated, or played with, all speak to the creative production Hutcheson is arguing for in our current contexts. She writes, “The research areas of creativity and leadership are drawn together by the force of change and the complex problems brought about by change” [8]. What I find particularly helpful here is the reinforcement that the leader does not simply have to know the way, but can help lay out a map to enable groups to discover the way forward together. And that leads me to a final thought about co-creation.
Inviting Others Along
Throughout her work, Hutcheson invites us to uphold the value of co-creation. At one points, she writes, “A leader doesn’t manage creativity, they manage for creativity” [9]. At annother point, she adds that leaders must not isolate — everyone’s wellbeing depends on it. Her model is,
FOLLOWER WELL-BEING =
F(HEALTHY LEADERSHIP)
Here we see the balance of the self-care of leaders mentioned earlier, along with how the leader enhances the performance and/or well-being of others. [10]. This is also argued by Simon Walker, in his work Leading Out of Who You Are. In vulnerability, healthy leaders learn to invite others in to decision-making and to be influenced by those they lead. He states that “…for the Adapting Ego, receiving is far more of a challenge. It involves placing yourself in someone’s debt and accepting with humility the service of another. It takes away your control and invites you to allow someone else to love you and have power over you” [11].
In conclusion, I am taking away renewed affirmation and challenge to stay on the “journey of becoming” by seeking sustainability in cultivating creative leadership with others alongside.
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[1] Karise Hutchinson, Illuminaire: Bringing Life & Light to Leaders across the World, Northern Ireland, Illuminaire Press, 2023, 10.
[2] Illuminaire, 12-13.
[3] Illuminaire, 10.
[4] Illuminaire, 49.
[5] Illuminaire, 51.
[6] Illuminaire, 68.
[7] Peter Guy Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, International student edition, Ninth edition, Los Angeles London New Delhi Singapore Washington DC Melbourne: SAGE, 2022, 6.
[8] Hutcheson reports that the “common view of creative leadership points to a confluence of skills and dispositions that lead people through a process of identifying problems, generating creative solutions, evaluating ideas, and then implementing the plan. Leadership is identified as a crucial precursor to creativity and innovation in organisations because leaders allocate resources, determine the nature of work tasks, influence employee behaviour, and control the environment. In other words, not only do leaders set culture and climate for creativity and innovation, but they also influence the cognitive processes involved in creative production”. Illuminaire, 118.
[9] Illuminaire, 125.
[10] Illuminaire, 55.
[11] Simon P. Walker, Leading Out of Who You Are: Discovering the Secret of Undefended Leadership. Piquant Publishing, 2007, 113.
About the Author
Joel Zantingh
Joel Zantingh is a catalyst for peacemaking and intercultural teams, speaker, theologian and consultant. He is the Canadian Coordinator of the World Evangelical Alliance's Peace and Reconciliation Network, and the Director of Engagement with Lausanne Movement Canada. He has served in local and national roles within the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, and led their global mission arm. He has experience teaching in formal and informal settings with Bible college students and leaders from various cultures and generations. Joel and Christie are parents to adult children, as well as grandparents. They reside in Guelph, Ont., situated on the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and home to many past, present and future First Nations peoples, including the Anishinnabe and Hodinöhsö:ni'.14 responses to “The Wisdom of Cultivation : the Leadership Journey of Becoming.”
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wonderful Joel, thank you. What are some practical implications for you in your current day to day as it relates to sustainability? What practices or spaces are you committed to that allow healthy reflection?
Great question, Ryan. What I have been learning to cultivate are the things that get emphasized a lot – sleep, sabbath, exercise, meditation — things that nourish the body as well as the soul. Early on in the pastorate, I received little support for this, but did it anyway. As I’ve aged, these practices have created more sustainability, and helped me get to the point in my major transition of carrying on, as if only 1 line changed in my bio. This really helped. What are some of your practices?
Joel,
From my perspective, you always seem very well balanced. It does seem that you have found a way to navigate the challenges of leadership while at the same living with health. What are some of the techniques that you have used over the years that have helped you maintain a healthy well-being?
For starters, I eat Dutch Pannekoek!
No seriously, I have fumbled my way through. Even with pattered, disciplined time off, sabbath-keeping, and life-giving habits, I still suffered a “brown-out” (near-burnout) and had to go on a brief leave about 10 years ago. I had to adjust to ensuring I took a planned break 3 or 4 times per year.
In this season, I have had to learn to pay attention to my body, to what I’m putting in it, and how I steward my energy, I have scaled back on social interactions, eat less, sleep more, nap more often, and say no to lots more non-essential meetings.
I’ve benefitted greatly from Richard Swenson’s book, Margin, which I read in the 90s, but the things I need to change keep adjusting. Great question.
Swenson, Richard A. Margin : Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1992.
Hi Joel, Thanks for bringing in the need for creative leadership. What do you think hinders leaders from “allowing creative ideas to be generated, evaluated, or played with,” both in their own leadership journey but also with those they are leading?
Hey Kari.
I remember that in Peter Guy Northouse’s ‘Leadership’, he powerfully said, “With no ethics, bad actor leaders draw around themselves ‘Conformers and Colluders’” (Leadership Ethics Chapter). I live in the Western world, where there is cultural appetite from the masses for bad actor leaders.
Yet most of the models of leadership which Northouse and others consider credible — like Transformational, Adaptive, Agile, Inclusive, and Servant — all share the leadership trait of cultivating environments where others can flourish.
This requires the leader to be strong in emotional intelligence, to be political, and not simply dictatorial. Yet people love the certitude of someone making clear, strong directives, perhaps because it gives a false sense of security. But if and when it “goes wrong”, they don’t have to blame themselves – they can blame the leader instead.
This all sounds like MORE work, not less. I believe that’s why people don’t gravitate towards it.
Hi Joel, thank you for sharing a piece of your journey. I particularly liked that you pulled from Hutchinson’s comment about managing for creativity rather than managing creativity itself. It seems like a minute difference on the surface but it really is significant to allow the followers to be empowered. In your context, what are some ways you can support that?
Hi Joel, Great post! You made two statements that really stuck out to me: 1) It is imperative to live with a disciplined call to build and keep margin, and 2) The leader does not simply have to know the way but can help lay out a map to enable groups to discover the way forward together. I keep thinking about how these two statements are interdependent on one another.
With the new concept of “creative leadership,” have you considered how to implement this into your personal leadership journey to co-create?
Hey Joel! Love this post. Looking through the lens of a leader, how can leaders practically cultivate creative leadership while balancing the need for sustainability and margin?
Darren (and Chad). Thanks to you both for tackling what I perceive to be the battle for internal well-being, while still being able to perform in the functions of leadership. There is an element that works hand-in-glove with creative leadership — empowerment.
Leaders bring energy and resources to their people, who are drawn into these processes of identifying problems, generating solutions, evaluating, and implementing plans. The leader functions like a facilitator and the people are empowered. It enables the leader to leave more meetings with nothing further to do, except cheer on those who will collaborate to implement, and to guide the process to outcomes.
This creates space for leaders to shift from “doing” more to “preparing and facilitating others” more, and should not come at the expense of self-care, soul care and the like. See my comments above for how this works with Northouse’s Transformational, Inclusive, Servant and Agile leadership models.
And thanks for the gift of leadership you are providing in this important season for the Church in NA.
Joel, How does the concept of “the journey of becoming” intersect with the tensions between personal transformation and leadership responsibility? In what ways might the challenge of maintaining margin and self-care conflict with the demands of co-creation and leading others, and how can leaders navigate this balance effectively?
I posted a shared response to you under Darren’s question.
Joel, great post. I love what you’ve pulled out of the reading this week.
How might leaders who are in an environment where the heroic mindset is championed and encouraged develop the kind of life that you describe in your post?
Joel, on Creative Leadership: You discuss the concept of “creative leadership.” How do you envision leaders fostering an environment where creativity thrives, especially in organizations resistant to change?