It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts. – John Wooden

A master martial artist asked Bruce Lee to teach him everything he knew about martial arts. Bruce held up two cups, both filled with liquid. “The first cup” Bruce said, “represents all your knowledge about martial arts. The second cup represents all my knowledge about martial arts. If you want to fill your cup with my knowledge, you must first empty your cup of your knowledge.” And this is, in part, the secret to being a teachable leader.

And let’s be honest, it’s not so much about emptying your cup of everything you’ve ever learned about leadership. But the more significant point is that you have to make space for new learning and for new applications in an ever-changing world.

The challenge with new leaders is found in believing that in a short amount of time you think you know all there is to know. The challenge for veteran leaders is in believing that you do. Click To Tweet So the obstacle, on one hand, is arrogance in thinking you know more than you do, and on the other is complacency in thinking there’s nothing more to learn. 

Winston Churchill said, “The most important thing about education is appetite,” and this is the challenge for all leaders – to have the appetite and curiosity to keep learning and to be teachable.

Before I identify the seven characteristics of teachable leaders, I’d first like to explore the roadblocks that prevent it. Why is it that we resist being teachable and what are the consequences? In order to be teachable, we have to know what attitudes, actions, or behaviors keep us from being teachable. I’ve identified six for your consideration.

You don’t place value on personal growth

If you don’t value personal growth you will not invest in it. In other words, you are content with the amount of knowledge and skill that you have believing that it will carry you. You will never rise to the challenge of leading others if you first don’t rise to the challenge of leading and growing yourself. Leaders lead by example and if you are not teachable then don’t expect it from your people.

You become defensive

In teachable moments that you have – especially with mentors and those with more knowledge and experience, one sure sign of not being teachable is that you become defensive. And what happens plays out like this: you defend yourself rather than listen; you justify your actions and behaviors rather than correct them, and you put up walls. So long as you are defensive and not teachable, you forfeit the opportunity for a teachable moment and to be a better leader.

You don’t listen

A big part of being teachable as a leader is found in listening. The greatest quality of being teachable is not found in what you think you need to say but in what you need to hear. Click To Tweet Part of our defense mechanism is that we tend to not listen and we interrupt (especially when we are hearing unpleasant truths) when the most beneficial thing we can do is to be quiet and listen. Being teachable is a humbling process that requires us all to realize that learning never ends and that sometimes the most prudent thing to do is stop talking and listen.

You deflect and compare yourself to others

Another sign of not being a teachable leader is that you deflect and compare yourself to others. What does this deflection look like? You might say things like, – “but this person is not doing…” or compare yourself by saying something like, “at least I’m not like this person…” And here’s the rub – it’s unhealthy and it prevents you from being teachable. The measure of your leadership is not found in how you stack up and compare to the person next to you. You never elevate yourself as a leader - ever - by putting someone else down. Click To Tweet You are responsible for your own growth and development and it doesn’t happen by propping yourself up by putting others down.

You don’t seek out wise counsel

In my years in leadership, there’s one undeniable truth that I confront on a daily basis and it’s this – there is always something to learn from someone else. The more we learn the more we realize how much we don’t know and in order to improve we have to intentionally seek out wise counsel. 

You’re stuck and have grown as much as you can

This perhaps is the saddest indication of all that that you are not a teachable leader. You are living under a self-imposed lid on your potential. And until you are willing to change, you will never reach it. So long as you are not teachable you’ve grown as much as you ever will. 

Final Thoughts

Being a teachable leader is one of the greatest compliments to your leadership. But arrogance and pride can be your demise if you’re unwilling to learn. Next week In part two, I will share seven characteristics of teachable leaders. 

 

©2022 Doug Dickerson