Time to Fight!
Senior Creative Designer Paul Bennett of IDEO (innovative design studio) once said a great nugget of wisdom about creative leadership decision making: "Fight the battles BIG enough to matter; SMALL enough to win". This simple concept is a common reason why I see creative leaders get burned out in ministry. Creative leaders take on battles that are too big to win thus getting frustrated and losing heart. Or they fight the battles that are too small, they get bored and lose interest. There is a misguided optimism towards engaging in the causes that can never be won. Sure there is something to be said about sacrificing yourself in the line of duty- but my advice, leave it for the war movies. You are a LEADER. By design, you have to lead to win- and lead others to win. Not all the time, but if you experience season after season of loses, maybe you are fighting the wrong battles. You need to ask yourself:
- Is the project big enough to really stretch my abilities, creativity, and leadership? Is there a ‘faith’ element or does it just feel foolish?
- Can I realistically start and finish a project with measurable results? Can I finish it with a sense of excellence and pride?
Re-adjust your criteria, ask a lot of questions, count the cost, take calculated risks, and then go for it with passion. You need it and your soul needs it. So to recap, I'd like to borrow wisdom from the great Vizzini:
- Never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this;
- Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Then finally;
- Always, fight the battles BIG enough to matter; SMALL enough to win.
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5