Customer Reviews

Color Outside the Lines (Swindoll Leadership Library)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Long-time leader and professor at Dallas Theological Seminary has written a volume that takes church leadership to new frontiers. . Pelted with quotes by notables (Drucker, Bennis, Nanus, et al), the author, with characteristic lightening flashes, tackles subjects such as personal and organizational creativity, leadership and family principles. Let this generation of Christian leaders rise up and call Hendricks blessed!! Five Stars!!!

Dr. Hendricks has produced a marvelous book that captures an all too often missing ingredient from the skill sets of today's leaders: creativity. In the author's words, this book is about "the newness of life in Christ, the creative, redemptive side of our salvation." Since The Fall, man has been steadily drifting farther and farther away from God. Along with this distancing is the decline of creativity as stale thinking replaced an awareness of God's creative essence. Armed with this recognition, the author illustrates the fact that every creative act ultimately points toward God as The Creator. Hendricks' desire is to produce churches and leaders that are aware of the gift of creativity so they might become fully alive in Christ, ever-growing, driving change within the church, flexible, and unsatisfied with the status quo.

Color Outside the Lines neatly divides into three parts. In the first part Hendricks defines and examines the many facets of creativity. Part two introduces the creative problem-solving process and offers many techniques to accomplish it. Part three concludes the book with several chapters that focus on the application of creativity. The value of this three-step method is its completeness. Hendricks does not stir up a longing for creativity inside the reader, only to leave him to his own devices. At the conclusion of each of twenty-two chapters is a series of short exercises designed to awaken the reader's God-given creativity. By the time the reader arrives at the last page he has come full-circle along side the author's creativity. Not only did the reader participate in a discussion of creativity, he discovered his own repressed creativity, and was given a charge by Hendricks to allow this now awakened creativity to consume the his life.

COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES BOOK REVIEW

Throughout the book, Howard Hendricks focuses on the importance of creativity as a necessary component of education. Yet, Hendricks transports this creative priority outside the traditional bounds of educational circumspection and infuses the subject with an intensity that necessitates immediate implementation. He continually underscores his deep convictions that modern Christians must find new and fresh approaches for sharing the Good News in the "language" of the 21st century. Numerous local churches, he laments,are experiencing "spiritual dry rot." They are in desperate need of a revitalized vision that meets the needs of its congregation and ministries. Fortunately, Hendricks convincingly communicates the situation is not hopeless and promotes creativity as the primary conduit for the solution. Thus, the heartbeat of the book pulsates with practical principles that will foster and cultivate creativity within the body of Christ.

The primary supposition of the book (which he states several times) is Hendricks' belief that a significant portion of creativity can be learned. He thus kills the myth that people are born into a creative "caste" which portions each with a finite capacity of creativity that cannot be increased. While it is true that certain individuals are especially gifted with the ability to be creative, Hendricks postulates that all people can develop a useful creative perspective that provokes thinking and initiates new reasoning patterns. This creative thinking, however, must be exercised and disciplined so the user knows "how to distinguish a God-given creative
thought from a castle in the air." Thus, "creativity is not just an instrument; it is an environment" that must be intelligently constructed and evaluated. In fact, Hendricks warns that useful "creativity arises from a sense of security, from freedom within boundaries that define a person and community welfare." Creativity must be channeled into relevance and application.

Despite his non-traditional approach, Hendricks beliefs about the impact and role of creativity are rooted in the fundamental nature of God. He reminds the readers that the emphasis on creativity is not a new trend or educational fad. Creativity is the medium of life itself. Nature and creation reveal God as the highest standard for creativity. In fact, the Sciences, with all of their "discoveries" and inventions, in reality collectively give a standing ovation to the magnificent artistry and innovative design of God's handiwork (unfortunately, most scientists are too self-centered to hear this heavenly-aimed applause!) Naturally, since humanity was created in God's image, Hendricks then extrapolates this creative attribute of God to include man. He quotes Ryken (pg 31), " Human creativity is rooted in divine creativity. Artists create because God created first."

Since the main aim of the Christian walk is to develop a Godly image that will cause itself to be reproduced in others, Hendricks not only promotes the integration of creativity within the sphere of Christian education and discipleship but considers it a biblical mandate that Christians should become creative. The expression of our creativity defines our purpose. As Dr. Hendricks states it: "We have nothing to do with the fact of life but everything to do with its meaning." Thus, all Christians must conclude that the methodology for conforming to the true image of Christ is heavily dependent on their individual expression and use of creativity.

Color Outside The Lines
by Howard G. Hendricks

This is a creativity book written from a Christian perspective. Its principal title is certainly catchy. The author is Distinguished Professor & Chairman of the Center for Christian Leadership at Dollas Thelogical Seminary. This book is targetted primarily at pastors, evangelists, missionaries, Sunday school teachers & anyone else whom the Lord has called to serve.

The secondary title. which reads 'A revolutionary Approach to Leadership' is somewhat misleading. Actually, I have been carried away by this secondary title & I also did not realise that the book has relatively heavy religious undertones.

After reading it, I regret to point out that the intellectual contents of the book do not stand up to this secondary title. I can only say that this book is more appropriate for a first timer, who is interested in creativity.

The nine steps process mentioned in the book is definitely not revolutionary. In fact, they are the standard fare found in most creative thinking books. They refer essentially to:

- brainstorming;
- Plussing - involves continually adding to a thing with a view to making it better & ultinately the best;
- Five sensing;
- Objection countering;
- gaming - there are two broad categories of gaming: competition & simulation;;
- mind mapping;
- role playing - using the four roles defined by Roger von Oeach;
- thinking hats - based on de Bono's system;
- storyboarding;

Even the Creative Problem Solving process is drawn from the Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI), which has its origins from the work of Alex Osborn & Sidney Parnes in the fifties.

The examples given in the book are also very common & easy to solve in the first instance.

What intrigues me most is the apparent failure of the author to dovetail the entire creative problem solving processes into the leadership process.

I wish to reiterate that, for a first timer, this book is still worthwhile to be pursued.

For others, I would suggest pursuing Paul Sloane's 'The Leader's Guide to Lateral Thinking Skills' as a viable alternative.

I must start by saying I highly respect Howard Hendricks and his incredible impact on Christian thinking over the past couple decades. He's a great man of God who deserves a lot of credit for promoting the Gospel.

I applaud Hendricks' overall philosophy that individuals (particularly Christians) need to embrace the unknown and explore their hidden potential. But of all the books about creativity that I've read, this is one of the dullest. Hendricks stops at nothing to lull the reader into a false sense of mental comfort, rather than truly challenging readers to higher levels of innovation. His "proven methods" and "nine steps" are nothing more than the "tried and true" routines of the past, not revolutionary ideas for expanding the mind's capacity. The book is full of cliches and traditional (ie., old-fashioned) brainstorm activities. Worse, it reduces the creative process to a scientific formula, asserting that creativity is best wrought through some prescribed (and prescripted) convention.

"Color Outside the Lines" may be okay for someone who wouldn't know creativity if it bit them on the nose. But if you want to fuel your brain on the good stuff, try reading "Walking on Water" by Madeleine L'Engle or "Orbiting the Giant Hairball" by Gordon MacKenzie.

This is a really great read from one of the great teachers of our generation.
Great insight, wisdom and understanding in releasing the creative person in each of us

Howard G Hendricks, Color Outside the Lines: A Revolutionary Approach to Creative Leadership (Nashville: Word, 1998)

Against roadblocks to innovation, Hendricks fosters holy discontent with the status quo and encourages fresh creativity and ideas. He outlines practical methods like brainstorming, mind-mapping, storyboarding and mind maps to help leaders reflect the image of the Creator and unleash new ideas. He argues creativity is biblical and necessary for our world. Emerging churches pride themselves on innovation, and this book though not written from or for the emerging church, has some good practical strategies emerging churches may appreciate.

Originally reviewed for D Cronshaw "The Emerging Church: Pioneering Leadership and Innovation Reading Guide", Zadok Paper (Forthcoming 2010).

Hendricks, a student of walt Disney, takes you on a journey to becoming more creative.

If you are looking for a good read on increasing your creativity, this book is for you!