Generative Leadership

There have been countless leadership books written in recent decades that all have a quasi-unique (or not so much) philosophy and definition of leadership. After reading dozens of these books and having my hands in ministry leadership spaces for over a decade, a vision of leadership has emerged that has proven helpful in identifying and coaching leaders. The concept is what I'm calling generative leadership.

Many secular leadership books emphasize fruitfulness and many Christian leadership books emphasize faithfulness, but I don't think we have to choose.

The word generative has recently been made popular by the exciting (or terrifying, depending on where you land) advancement in artificial intelligence. Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence able to create new things, such as text and images, based on observing patterns and data. The word generative just means having the ability to reproduce. This is how we're going to use the term.

This "generative" vision of reproduction or multiplication is at the core of our purpose as humans as revealed in the Bible. From the cultural/creation mandate in Genesis 1 to the gospel mandate, or the Great Commission, in Matthew 28, our calling as God's people in the earth is to reproduce.

The term "generative leadership" is my way of explaining the calling of Christians, especially Christian leaders, to multiply in healthy ways that leads to lasting Kingdom advancement.

I believe generative leadership is the one key thing to look for in identifying leaders, staff members, church planters, and almost any other leadership role in the Body of Christ. It's my belief that valuing generative leadership is what causes organic growth and the lack of generative leadership causes churches, movements, and organizations to stall and begin to decline. In the age of overly specialized roles in overly event-driven ministries, we begin to hire people who can get the job done, rather than reproduce Kingdom fruit. I think there's a better way...

Here are four traits to look for, or aim to cultivate, in generative leadership.

1- Connected to the Life-Giving Vine.

One of the key markers of a generative leader is to be life-giving. If you are life-sucking you are not a generative leader. In one of his most famous sayings, Jesus explained, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." According to Jesus, the key to fruitfulness is intimacy. The key to multiplication is closeness with God. Any Christian vision of advancing God's Kingdom must begin with intimacy. Jesus does not mince words when he says that apart from him we can do nothing.

This means that when we're seeking to identify leaders or grow in our personal capacity for leadership, we must seek Jesus-reliant, Spirit-dependent, prayerful people who prioritize intimacy with God over everything else. The first trait of generative leadership is intimacy.

2- Growing in health.

You may already be pushing back on this vision of leadership with thoughts like, "well, weeds also grow" or "cancer also multiplies." Generative leadership acknowledges these realities and is vigilant against diseased reproduction. In truly generative leaders, growing in health is most evident in the willingness to suffer and be pruned. Rather than thinking all pain is negative, generative leaders take their own shortcomings seriously and embrace pruning seasons because they know pruning always is for the purpose of future fruit.

This growth mentality can be aided by leaning into older mentors who are willing to point out blindspots, as well as an insatiable hunger to learn and grow by reading, listening, and asking questions.

In addition to prizing Jesus above all things, generative leaders allow the Gardener to prune back the dying and diseased places in our lives to bring about even more fruit.

3- Intrinsically motivated and action oriented.

The previous two traits are more aimed at faithfulness, but these last two are more focused on fruitfulness.

As many of you have experienced, I've led people who are action oriented and some who are not. Some I've had to reign in because they are running in the wrong direction and others who are more passive, waiting for me to give clear instructions. In the well-known parable of the talents, the servant who played it safe out of fear was called "wicked and lazy," whereas the ones who went out without specific instructions to multiply what they'd been given were told, "well done, good and faithful servant."

The generative leader moves without prompting and improves without much coaching. They are self-starters, dreamers, and people with a bias towards actions. The types of leaders we must look for and seek to become reject passivity and wake up every day with actionable vision in their hearts.

4- Focused on multiplication.

We've all heard the often quoted maxim that maintenance is a myth. We are always either advancing, increasing, and getting better or we're becoming stagnant and declining. I've seen countless churches, movements, and organizations live out these realities in the past decade. Those that lose sight of multiplication will often begin to hire doers, rather than generative leaders.

At the core of the namesake of what I'm calling generative leadership is the vision, ability, and drive to multiply.

Generative leaders are not merely focused on doing their own thing and getting the job done, but raising up others to see the Kingdom advance. Its investing in others with a longterm vision of Kingdom advancement. Its identifying other generative leaders, inviting them in, raising them up, and releasing them back into the wild to reproduce other generative leaders who are also full of life, health, motivation, and a deep vision for multiplication.

The one trait that we see throughout redemptive history in leaders who have made a lasting impact for the Kingdom on earth is this idea of generative leadership. These leaders have embodied a unique abiding relationship with God, a willingness to be wounded and pruned to be consecrated and grow in health, a work ethic and intrinsic motivation to pour out their lives for the good of others, and a devotion to multiplication.

Jesus, who is the most effective leader who has ever lived, embodied these realities as well. Although he is God, he remained connected to the Father and reliant of the Spirit, was already perfect yet was wounded for our transgressions, did not just have good ideas but passionately lived out his vision of the Kingdom, and invested deeply into twelve others who went on to multiply exponentially, evidenced by the fact that we are here today.

So, let's be generative leaders. Let's coach others towards being generative leaders. Let's hire generative leaders. And let's play our part in redemptive history as the Kingdom of God advancing in such a time as this.