Ambidextrous Leadership
The Imagination Age
Let me just come right out and say it.
I think the key to leadership in the 21st C is developing the right-brain capacity for creativity. At the risk of being reductionistic, the left-brain is the linear and logical hemisphere. The right-brain is the creative hemisphere. I know that doesn't do it neurological justice, but I'll save that for another blog.
Here is one of the greatest issues facing the church: there aren't enough right-brain pastors or right-brained churches. The 21st C demands ambidextrous leadership.
Let me back up and zoom out.
If I had to divide history with sweeping generalizations here is how I would do it. The 19th century was the industrial age. It was epitomized by the factory worker. The 20th century was the information age. It was epitomized by the knowledge worker to borrow the term used by Peter Drucker. Forgive me for making such a bold prediction. But I think the 21st century will be known as the imagination age. I think it'll be epitomized by creative architects in every field who set new imagination standards.
Imagination Quotient
Here is one of the greatest dangers seasoned pastors face: doing ministry out of memory. In other words, doing what you did the day before and the day before the day before and the day before the day before the day before. You get the point. We learn how and forget why.
I think God calls us to do ministry out of imagination. I think there are ways of doing church that have yet to be discovered. Like everything else, we've got to be good stewards of our imaginations. Imagine a generation of church planters with sanctified imaginations experimenting with new ways of doing church! New Songs. New wineskins. For what it's worth, we (NCC) feel called to be part of the Research & Development (R & D) Department of the Kingdom of God. One of our core values is: everything is an experiment.
Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, did a fascinating study on how much IQ accounts for career success. According to Goleman, between 4% to 10%. Maybe IQ should stand for imagination quotient instead of intelligence quotient. Imagination Quotient is the new IQ.
I think Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Contextual Intelligence (CQ) and Metaphorical Intelligence (MQ) are much more important when it comes to minsitry than IQ. Leadership is a right-brained sport. The right-brain is the locus of dreams and visions. But here's the thing: I think 95% of my Seminary education was aimed at developing my left-brain while my right-brain was left to atrophy! EQ, CQ, and MQ are right-brain capacities. The key to great leadership is developing right-brain capacities.
Three Hats
I won't go into depth, but I think pastors wear three primary hats: we are called to be storysmiths, experineers, and culturetechs.
Storysmiths are the creators, collectors and keepers of the stories. Crafting stories is the art of preaching and vision casting. Stories are lifeblood of every organization. Stories are the key to creating momentum. We're collecting stories right now to put on our webpage in a "story archive." I'd actually like to create a Pastor of Stories position at NCC whose only job is to collect and tell stories! By the way, how is the beast defeated in Revelation 12:11? By the blood of the Lamb and "the word of our testimony." Evidently, Satan hates stories! Stories, stories, stories.
Pastors are environmental engineers. Experineers are called to design everything from physical spaces to spiritual experiences. Our weekly Big Idea meetings revolve around designing weekend gatherings. The goal is I Corinthians 14:25: that people would recognize that "God is really among them." You can't "man-u-facture" spiritual expiriences. But you can facilities them with lots of brainstorming and prayerstorming.
The most difficult and most important task for any pastor is that of cultural architect or culturetech. How do you manage or measure intangibles? The key is identification of values and beliefs--the double-helix of a church's spiritual DNA. And being intentional about keeping them front and center. For example, at NCC we take fun seriously. Call me crazy, but we believe that church should be enjoyable! You ought to walk out feeling better than when you walked in. When we're shooting a video or crafting a sermon or planning a series, we're intentional about incorporating elements that are fun. Like me dressing up in a Mr. Incredible suit and doing on-the-street interviews in downtown DC! That's part of our personality as a church!
Ambidextrous Churches
Ralph Waldo Emerson said that if you designed a better mouse trap the world would beat a path to your door. Maybe they'd do the same thing if we designed a better church? A right-brain church that celebrated mystery and beauty and creativity. A right-brained church with a well-developed sense of humor!
The Great Commandment tells us to love God with "all of our mind." That means left-brain and right-brain. Theology is the way we love God with our left-brain. Creativity is the way we love God with our right-brain! When the two intersect you end up with a church that is orthodox in belief and unorthodox in practice!
Just a right-brained thought.
Let me just come right out and say it.
I think the key to leadership in the 21st C is developing the right-brain capacity for creativity. At the risk of being reductionistic, the left-brain is the linear and logical hemisphere. The right-brain is the creative hemisphere. I know that doesn't do it neurological justice, but I'll save that for another blog.
Here is one of the greatest issues facing the church: there aren't enough right-brain pastors or right-brained churches. The 21st C demands ambidextrous leadership.
Let me back up and zoom out.
If I had to divide history with sweeping generalizations here is how I would do it. The 19th century was the industrial age. It was epitomized by the factory worker. The 20th century was the information age. It was epitomized by the knowledge worker to borrow the term used by Peter Drucker. Forgive me for making such a bold prediction. But I think the 21st century will be known as the imagination age. I think it'll be epitomized by creative architects in every field who set new imagination standards.
Imagination Quotient
Here is one of the greatest dangers seasoned pastors face: doing ministry out of memory. In other words, doing what you did the day before and the day before the day before and the day before the day before the day before. You get the point. We learn how and forget why.
I think God calls us to do ministry out of imagination. I think there are ways of doing church that have yet to be discovered. Like everything else, we've got to be good stewards of our imaginations. Imagine a generation of church planters with sanctified imaginations experimenting with new ways of doing church! New Songs. New wineskins. For what it's worth, we (NCC) feel called to be part of the Research & Development (R & D) Department of the Kingdom of God. One of our core values is: everything is an experiment.
Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, did a fascinating study on how much IQ accounts for career success. According to Goleman, between 4% to 10%. Maybe IQ should stand for imagination quotient instead of intelligence quotient. Imagination Quotient is the new IQ.
I think Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Contextual Intelligence (CQ) and Metaphorical Intelligence (MQ) are much more important when it comes to minsitry than IQ. Leadership is a right-brained sport. The right-brain is the locus of dreams and visions. But here's the thing: I think 95% of my Seminary education was aimed at developing my left-brain while my right-brain was left to atrophy! EQ, CQ, and MQ are right-brain capacities. The key to great leadership is developing right-brain capacities.
Three Hats
I won't go into depth, but I think pastors wear three primary hats: we are called to be storysmiths, experineers, and culturetechs.
Storysmiths are the creators, collectors and keepers of the stories. Crafting stories is the art of preaching and vision casting. Stories are lifeblood of every organization. Stories are the key to creating momentum. We're collecting stories right now to put on our webpage in a "story archive." I'd actually like to create a Pastor of Stories position at NCC whose only job is to collect and tell stories! By the way, how is the beast defeated in Revelation 12:11? By the blood of the Lamb and "the word of our testimony." Evidently, Satan hates stories! Stories, stories, stories.
Pastors are environmental engineers. Experineers are called to design everything from physical spaces to spiritual experiences. Our weekly Big Idea meetings revolve around designing weekend gatherings. The goal is I Corinthians 14:25: that people would recognize that "God is really among them." You can't "man-u-facture" spiritual expiriences. But you can facilities them with lots of brainstorming and prayerstorming.
The most difficult and most important task for any pastor is that of cultural architect or culturetech. How do you manage or measure intangibles? The key is identification of values and beliefs--the double-helix of a church's spiritual DNA. And being intentional about keeping them front and center. For example, at NCC we take fun seriously. Call me crazy, but we believe that church should be enjoyable! You ought to walk out feeling better than when you walked in. When we're shooting a video or crafting a sermon or planning a series, we're intentional about incorporating elements that are fun. Like me dressing up in a Mr. Incredible suit and doing on-the-street interviews in downtown DC! That's part of our personality as a church!
Ambidextrous Churches
Ralph Waldo Emerson said that if you designed a better mouse trap the world would beat a path to your door. Maybe they'd do the same thing if we designed a better church? A right-brain church that celebrated mystery and beauty and creativity. A right-brained church with a well-developed sense of humor!
The Great Commandment tells us to love God with "all of our mind." That means left-brain and right-brain. Theology is the way we love God with our left-brain. Creativity is the way we love God with our right-brain! When the two intersect you end up with a church that is orthodox in belief and unorthodox in practice!
Just a right-brained thought.
22 Comments:
Mark,
I loved this post. My brother, who works in DC, who actually lives around the corner from your church, has been coming to your church, and has been telling me a lot about you guys. So he sent me your blog. I haven't been to your church yet, but would love to visit it some day when I am back there. This post just resonated with some of the things I have been pondering a lot in my own ministry.
Thanks.
Rhett Smith
This is great stuff! Thanks for the insights.
wow, I just stumbled upon your blog via bloggingchurch.org. love the insights! keep 'em coming!
Welcome to our small corner of the blogosphere :)
Mark
I think it is quite bold of you to attempt to redefine the role of the Pastor. I would like to see some Scripture to support these ideas. Strangely enough the true role of the Pastor is more closely associated with the Shepherd that you mentioned in a previous blog. I think it was the one when you mentioned Moses as shepherd could not have been content. Now I guess the Pastor could wear the three hats you mentioned, that is if they have time. Caring for the flock requires a rod, staff and the determination to leave the 99 for the one, while at the same time knowing thier names. All very time consuming and unexciting. I don't disagree with the ideas here but I don't see how a Pastor implements them without sacrificing his primary role as Shepherd.
Right off the bat let me say that we need lots of different kinds of pastors because there are lots of different kinds of churches!
And I think the size and location of a church has alot to do with the way you pastor. And that changes dramatically over time. I used to do everything when NCC was twenty-five people! I was more of a shepherd. But that has changed dramatically over the years as we've morphed into a multi-site church. We've got more than fifty smalls groups with great shepherds leading those groups.
I think a pastor probably wears a hundred hats :) I've done a little praying, meeting, sermon preping, architectural planning, and counseling today. Those are hats I wear.
I think I'm trying to stress the importance of the three hats I mention. I think they are often neglected roles that may not be as urgent, but are as or more important than some of the things we do as pastors.
In terms of Biblical basis I think all three are modeled by God. He is the master storyteller. History is His Story :) He is the experineer extraordinaire. Oswald Chambers had a motto: "Let God engineer." It's what He does best. And culturetech. God is the ultimate architect. And He invented incarnation.
So I'd view the three hats as hats that Jesus wore. To become more like Christ is to tell better stories; engineer experiences like Jesus did for his disciples; and lead in countercultural and counterintuitive ways.
My two cents :)
I tend to think the label "Pastor" isn't befitting of much of what we are accustomed to or what it shoudl be. I sat in awe when I saw the opening of the former Houston Rocket Dome now a Church, 20,000 people. Now how can someone "pastor" 20,000 people? Hey If he or she doesn't visit me in the hospital when I am sick or doesn't come to my kids graduation party when they are invited to pray they they aren't my pastor.
I think there is a historical mindset that the pastor ought to do all of the "formal" ministry like pastoral care or weddings or graduation parties :)
I'm not sure that's biblical or practical :)
We're pretty committed to a more decentralized or democratized way of doing church. Most of our "pastoral care" happens in small groups.
I heard Andy Stanley say something at Catalyst last year that was so reassuring. He said, "Not everybody needs to know Andy Stanley. Everybody needs to know Jesus!" That relieved me of so much pastoral pressure :)
I think you are on to something with the need for right brain thinking. I have been having the same feeling that many of us in the church are too left brain, and we are not communicating very well to people today.
I think a may give my tithe to my small group leader.
Hmmmm...
Not sure where that is coming from, but I think the tithe doesn't belong to a pastor or small group leader or worship leader. It belongs to God :)
My two cents. Literally.
"if you don't want what you always got, don't do what you've always done..." i'm not sure if that's the exact quote, or who the author of that quote was, but it's true.
and your call for more "right-brained" pastors is desperatly needed!
as pastors, we cannot settle for status quo, because we don't serve a status quo God, we serve a creative God, an imaginative God, who is calling for creative, imaginative leaders.
mark...i say you're on to something!!
What you said reminds me of something Stephen Covey says in his audio series based on "7 Habits Of Highly Effective People"...
He said the right-brain is need for leadership: vision casting, dreaming, etc...
The left-brain is needed for managing: organizing people, organizing systems, etc...
I think of it like this:
Right-brain = helps the dreamer
Left-brain = helps the implementer
I think, like you mentioned, that both sides are needed (Ambidextrous).
I think those of us who feel like one side of the brain dominates our thought process need to pray and ask God to give us balance.
"an imaginative God, who is calling for creative, imaginative leaders."
Following the logic of Mark's idea it would naturally follow that God will call the more creative. Most psycholgists suggest that we are programmed left brained or right brained, this is not our choosing. When right brained people are asked to do left brained tasks it is a challenge, and vice-versa. I would suggest that if there is truly a shift in the Pastoral gift then naturally we will see our seminaries full of "right brained" people struggling with theoloy courses. However it will be fun to be in the cafeteria. So I don't think it will be necessary for "left-brained" Pastors to change who they are. God will call the "right-brainers". That is if this "right-brain", "left-brain" idea is true. Can anyone guess whih one I am?
Funny :)
I think it's about being a good steward of both sides. We ought to be logical and creative!
I just think the focus has been on "left-brain logic" more than "right-brain creativity."
I'm not suggesting we let the left-side atrophy or that the right side is more important. I just think it's been more neglected.
I think this is tricky because everybody has a different spiritual temperament so we experience God in different ways.
I'm just lobbying for the right-side a little :)
"I'm just lobbying for the right-side a little"
A little??????? After reading your post my "right-side" was having a party in there high fiving and stuff.
In the words of two 80's philosophers, *Bill and Ted, "Party on, dude!"
*Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
In case you're uncultured :)
Okay, I know this is an old blog, but I couldn't help but tell you. I'm in the process of starting a new church and your thoughts and mine run on the same line - except you said it better. Thanks!
JAC
Today I had an opportunity to present a workshop to area clergy of all faiths using this right brain spirit led approach to serving those left behind after a death. I explained that we needed to rethink the funeral experience or to be open to HIS leading to be able to reach out and minister to them. About 50% got it and the others spoke "religion" back to me on how the church protocal says this and that.
I sit here tonight feeling beat up, depressed and humilated by my transparency. But I also feel like I was obediant to Him.
Mark, thanks for your passion and vision for God's people. You have inspired me to get out of my comfort zone as a funeral director.
Boone
I know the feeling :)
Just think about how often the Pharisees tried to beat up Jesus for his different approach to ministry!
And remember this, no matter how right you are someone will think you're wrong :)
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Hi Mark
Great post. I've been involved with accelerated learning for 20 years, working particularly with kids with dyslexia and learning difficulties. Most were boys and I would say 95% were right brain dominant failing in left brain school systems.
These kids were bright, dreamy and imaginative but couldn't grasp details s couldn’t spell or remember tables and almost all of them thought they were stupid.
Accelerated learning techniques had them spelling words like psychiatrist and encyclopedia, forwards and backwards in under 5 minutes each word, the 12 times table up to 12 x 19 in 30 minutes and an ordinary table in 20 minutes and the Time in less than 15 minutes for the basics and completely within 3/4 days.
Needless to say confidence and self esteem soared. I've left the website till last in case you want to delete it: www.edinburghtechniques.co.uk
I hope you will least look at the site first, because this is Wholebrain Learning in action and it has been working all over the world now via the web since 1997 and in the UK since 1986.
Brian Hill MA (Edin)
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