Unteachable leaders are doomed

A leader who can’t be taught is doomed.

Every leader makes mistakes. The most inspiring leaders in the Old Testament all make terrible decisions at some point. Moses murdered an Egyptian, David slept with Bathsheba, and Joseph provoked his brothers to jealousy. The New Testament’s leaders share their own failures. What distinguishes the inspiring leaders from those used as case studies of what not to do is their teachability. In their stories, even if their mistake is dramatic, it does not end their leadership. Their mistakes are transformed; or as Maxwell says, “Nothing is truly a mistake unless you don’t learn from it” (Maxwell, pg 93).

There are bound to be many mistakes in the first attempt at launching a business. An entrepreneur many times figures out the fifteen models that don’t work before landing on one that does. In the famous words of Thomas Edison, ‘I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work (Edison).’

The entrepreneur who does not learn from his mistakes or is willing to learn from others has no future. It’s only a matter of time before his folly is revealed, for even were he successful the end will be ruin.

Maxwell’s re-telling of the story of Samson is cautionary. All the gifts and advantages God offers cannot make up for an unteachable heart. I too am given gifts from God, and it is vital that I remain teachable in mistakes if my leadership is not to end in disaster as Samson’s did.

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