I\u2019ve been spending a lot of time meditating and studying one of Cru\u2019s seminal texts, Ephesians 5:18, as I review Simon Walker\u2019s thoughts on leadership and power in Leading with Nothing to Lose.<\/i> I humbly offer encouragement to how I see it shaping the Innovation department within my organization. I have been guilty of previously not paying much attention to the context of Ephesians 5. Preceding 5:18 and the call to be filled with the Spirit is a creative poem the early church most likely used as a baptismal hymn \u201cWake up, O sleeper\u2026\u201d (v. 14). Paul invites people to awaken from spiritual lethargy, walk in the revealing and transforming light, and experience the resurrection power in the present through being filled with the Spirit. And he does this with a poem – an expression of creativity. Then, just after the call to be filled with the Spirit Paul says, \u201cSpeak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs\u2026\u201d (v. 19). Another form of creative expression! The call to be filled with the Spirit is largely a fruit of responding to God\u2019s creative redemption and marked with a similar generative expression. There is a dance, or a virtuous cycle, of being filled with the Spirit leading to creativity, and<\/i> creativity posturing us to be more prone to seeking being filled with the Spirit.<\/p>\n
Another mark of being filled with the Spirit is \u201csubmitting to one another out of reverence for Christ\u201d (v. 21). Through the recent discovery sessions around this topic, many Cru staff talked about tensions existing between \u201chigher levels of leadership\u201d and field staff. I began wondering, \u201cWhat might that look like for these two groups to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ?\u201d An image came almost immediately to my mind. For non-executive staff, I believe submitting means putting down their guns. While not ignoring the hurt and confusion of staff, it is time to move on from grudges and bitterness held from the reorganization. I imagine if everyone in the audience had a laser-sighted gun in their hands, the executives would be riddled with red dots. How damaging, hurtful, and impossible to lead when you are covered in laser sights just by stepping onto \u201cthe stage.\u201d I want to be a part of helping staff put down their guns.<\/p>\n
The text describes a mutual submission. I wouldn\u2019t be so audacious as to judge the executive team\u2019s hearts, but I have discovered a feeling of lack of trust from many staff. If Cru is to move forward in health there must be a real and felt trust from the executive team to allow staff to experiment with DNA-infused creative ideas and expressions. I perceive a vicious cycle of staff\u2019s growing bitterness naturally causing a \u201ctightening of the grip,\u201d which in turn creates more bitterness. I believe a reimagined Innovation department can foster tangible ways to allow for trust with aligned experimentation.<\/p>\n
____<\/p>\n
Simon P. Walker, The Undefended Leader <\/i>(Carlise, UK, Piquant, 2010)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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