This is the end of the last lesson in the Growing the Servant Heart programme.

The goal of Growing the Servant Heart is to encourage you to live out Christ’s servant heart as you seek to lead others as a Christ-centred servant leader. The essence of which is about enabling those you lead to achieve their full potential in his service and that they will also become more Christ-like in the process. It’s about adopting and fostering a Kingdom culture which, as we have seen, is radically different to any earthly national culture. The one thing you can be sure of, therefore, is that you need to be different as leaders than you are now, in whatever country you may live.

The Growing the Servant Heart programme has sought to provide Biblical insight into what it means to lead people in Kingdom service and to introduce practical tools that will enable you to do this day-to-day.

May the Lord bless you as you seek to serve him.

Action Plan

Introduce creative thinking to your team and encourage them to use these techniques.

Consider the problems, challenges or opportunities that your team is seeking to address. Identify how you can use the creative thinking approaches we have discussed and lead your team in finding appropriate solutions using these techniques.

Review your notes from the Take a Moment exercises throughout the programme. Have your perspectives changed? How are you different as a leader?

Note down the top-ten things your have learned.

  • What difference do they make to you as a leader?
  • What difference do they make to those whom you lead?

 

Further Study

Review the Bibliography and if you have access to any of the books then take time to read more about creative thinking.

Next

Seek to apply what you have learned about creative thinking. Find someone that you respect and trust and can discuss this with, then schedule a review with them with the objective of discovering ways in which you can improve. Then set out your action plan and review that with them as you progress.

Now you have completed the programme take time to:

  • Review the lessons, especially Exploring Leadership in the Kingdom.
  • Prayerfully review your action plans and how you have developed as a Christ-centred servant leader.
  • Identify your key development needs.
  • Identify specific day-to-day leadership issues and work out how to address them.
  • Prepare and follow up on your action plans.

Being a Christ-centred servant leader is a journey, therefore what’s next is down to you.

Bibliography:

de Bono, E., Lateral Thinking, Penguin

de Bono, E., How to Have Creative Ideas, Vermillion

de Bono, E., de Bono’s Thinking Course, Facts on File

Hendricks, H.G., Colour Outside the Lines A revolutionary Approach to Creative Leadership, Word Publishing

Von Oech, R., A Whack on the Side of the Head How You Can be More Creative, Warner Books

Michalko, M, Thinkertoys[1] A handbook of creative-thinking techniques, Ten Speed Press

Michalko, M, Cracking Creativity The Secrets of Creative Genius, Ten Speed Press

Waddell. M. Project Management for Christian Leaders, Claybury International

Appendix 1 – Random Object List

A B C D
1 Fountain Mug Book Blackbird
2 Tractor Chair Binoculars Key
3 Plough Bandage Seagull Plastic spoon
4 Skylight Jet Plastic knife Scratch
5 Sugar bowl Traffic lights Boat Policeman
6 Catapult Nail Chocolates Toffee
7 Camera Helicopter Film Keyboard
8 French fries Pen Wool Cabbage
9 Socket Jam jar Blind Frying pan
10 Shoes Bulldozer Grinder Plug
11 Carriage Egg Gate Spray paint
12 Butterfly net Bottle Door Case
13 Straw Microphone Lilies Blackboard
14 Apple Vinegar Box Case
15 Glasses Slippers Screw Double bass
16 Mark Eel Beans Motor
17 Knitting Swing Crane Road sign
18 Harness Giraffe Door Sledge hammer
19 Buggy Rope Paint brush Lock
20 Lamp Business card Coffee Rocket
21 Railings Knife Fish Vacuum Cleaner
22 Shirt Hoist Hammer Tile
23 Tongs Eye Spot Belt
24 Torch Bucket Corn Ant Eater
25 Needles Hedge Birthday Card Hinge
26 Roof Ghost Horse Roses
27 Gorilla Orange Elephant White board
28 Guitar Drawer Chisel Couch
29 Lion Nachos Fork Plastic fork
30 Train Crab Window Door handle
31 Finger Trousers Toast Football
32 Raincoat Pedestrian Car Fishing Road

 

[1] Michalko has researched and catalogued approaches that are used to enable people to think differently and thus creatively. Unfortunately he has not been spiritually discerning and has included one or two approaches that are not compatible with Biblical principles e.g. consulting a spirit guide. This does not negate the value of the other approaches that he has documented.