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 Leading ArtistsFive principles for overseeing right-brained team members.
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NOTE: This article has been excerpted from the BuildingChurchLeaders.com training tool Creative Arts Leader. After three decades in arts ministry, I know two things for sure: artists are not easy to lead; and artists desperately need leadership. They have great strengths—and extremely complicated weaknesses. It's part of how God created them. They feel things deeply and therefore can craft moments that tap into what others feel but can't seem to express. Yet this very strength—feeling things deeply—can drive artists to self-doubt, perfectionism, and fear of failure. Single-mindedly devoted to their craft, artists can slip into self-absorption and lose sight of the big picture. It's rare to have a simple conversation with artists or a simple decision about approach and ministry. Artists often see the world in shades of gray rather than black and white, and they resist quick or simplistic conclusions. I experienced this recently when we met with our pastors to discuss a drama script for Good Friday. The writer and drama directors fought for the artistic integrity of the piece. Pastors sought to protect the audience from ambiguity, while the artists defended subtlety. What a delicate dance! If those who lead artists attempt to be authoritative, handing down edicts and expecting the team to just do it, turmoil and trouble result. When I think back over my journey as a leader of artists, I celebrate some parts and deeply regret others. I'll give you four key areas where I'd love the chance for a do-over, and a fifth where God affirmed my efforts. 1. Keep the vision clear. Even the most devoted volunteer artists can grow fuzzy about why we are doing this. We require consistent reinforcement of our vision and core values. In his book Organizing Genius, Warren Bennis says with respect to leading creative teams, "Often the leader's role is simply to keep them pointed in the right direction." It is essential for leaders of artists to err on the side of over-communicating the purpose for serving and the church mission rather than assuming everyone just gets it and will always get it. Keeping the vision clear becomes exceedingly difficult as volunteer teams grow. Newer team members require orientation to arts ministry expectations, strategy, and values. Veteran servants also need frequent reminders, because, as our pastor often says, "vision leaks." With so many rehearsals and services, how do we make time to communicate our foundation? Our team has experimented with many strategies to keep vision clear; we gather arts ministry volunteers a few times each year. We highlight core values and inspire our teams by showing them examples of changed lives. In a recent team meeting, I invited a drummer new to our music ministry to tell his story. Wes's description of coming to Willow Creek—feeling blown away by the music, and seeing a drum set on stage just like his at home—was a great inspiration to our team. Wes told us he couldn't get over the quality and style of music he was hearing at a church. Over time, Wes investigated Christianity and volunteered to serve. Eventually he gave his life to Christ. After hearing this, our volunteers jumped to their feet in applause. Wes vividly reminded us why we serve. |             | |||||||||||||||||||
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