10 Marks of Learn-it-all Leaders
There’s little hope for know-it-all leaders. Too many leaders flap their tongues while their ears nap and their brains slumber.
When was the last time you asked, “Tell me what you think?” Perhaps, by the time you’re done telling what you think, there’s no time for asking what they think.
Your open mouth closes the mouths of others.
Self-development is pivotal to leadership success. Developing you develops your organization. I’m not talking about lazy indulgence; sitting under a tree and finding yourself. I’m talking about lifelong learning that enhances leadership.
Know-it-alls talk. Learn-it-alls listen.
Learn-it-all leaders:
- *Judge slowly.
- Live transparently.
- Question aggressively.
- Listen confidently.
- Succeed gracefully.
- Fail humbly.
- Follow willingly.
- Reject stagnation. Learn-it-alls passionately pursue point “B.” Point “A” is a pit stop not a destination.
- Welcome in rather than push away.
- Embrace old values and pursue new methods.
*Judging slowly:
- Provides time.
- Enables exploration rather than validation.
- Give courage to others.
Judge slowly by:
- Embracing “and.”
- Withholding “but.”
- Uncovering new thoughts rather than validating old.
- Holding divergent ideas at the same time.
- Smiling in silence.
How would you explain and develop one of the ten learn-it-all qualities?
Learn it all leaders listen attentively, authentically and deeply.
Listening is a skill that seems to have been lost by many. They take in information, process it and act upon it. Agree, disagree, good, bad, or indifferent, you can tell that you have made an impact on them. You have been heard.
And being heard is all people want and need sometimes.
Thanks Martina…you keep bringing it with your comments! It’s so true. Often, all others need is to feel heard.
Martina,
That is so wise! Sometimes, I have to ask my wife “Is this a listening moment for me, or a fix it moment?”
Well said,Todd and what a great way to phrase it clearly. Sometime we don’t know what will serve another best unless we ask. Thanks.
Terribly tue.
I like the welcome in rather than push away quality. For example, our Church (Life Austin) has a belief that we should be a place where the “un-churched” feel welcomed. They can come to God’s house of worship as they are.
As they transform from the inside, they become a new person.
But, if they were judged and pushed away at the door, they would never know the “light.”
To be humble enough to love all is a lesson I continue to learn more about!
Dan – as a Pastor, what is your stance on that subject?
Also – Would you do me a big favor? I’m interviewing Randy Phillips (Phillips, Craig and Dean) tomorrow, and I would love to ask him one of the Leadership Freaks questions! Can you submit one?
http://toddliles.com/ask-pastor-randy-phillips-pcd-your-questions.html
Hey there Dan! For more than a year I have been saving each “Leadership Freak” in a special folder for the past year. I see them as great resources for me as a church planter/drug rehab leader/missionary in Uruguay, South America. My “pull what little hair I have left” frustration comes from working with a underachieving Uruguayan pastor (I will call him Miquel) with whom we are planting a church in a small city about 40 miles from the capital of Montevideo. Our pastors are recruited, supported, and placed in strategic locations with the goal of establishing new churches within a year. We are working on our 8th, 9th, and 10th church plants since 2003. Miquel is definitely on a different page than the other two church planters that we are working with. The first indication of trouble came when he continually missed target dates for important goals, e.g. personally getting to know every neighbor who lives within 200 meters of the new church. I was completely blowing away by his explication was that he is extremely disorganized and undisciplined . . . as if I should understand and accept his excuse as a disability! While the other two church are growing, his is languishing. His wife is in her 7th month of a very difficult pregnancy, meaning that we cannot look for a replacement in the near future as they have no saftey net to depend upon. My wife tells me that my frustration with is becoming more and more transparent through my body language, lack of patience, and my tendency to direct Miquel more and more. How can I draw the best out of Miquel, and get past my growing impatience . . . and anger? Thanks for your daily influence in my life. blessings, isaac smythiaMissionary in Uruguay, South America Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2012 21:29:28 +0000 To: ismythia1@hotmail.com