Any leadership book you pick up will tell you the importance of remaining a learner. Read books, visit others in your profession who are flying high, learn from them. Look to those beyond where you are and learn from those people.
I have been struck recently by who God chooses to use to teach me. It’s not the well-educated, nor the missional-elite. It’s often the unexpected person.
The waitress at my regular coffee shop who has taught me the importance of moving slowly, and fully engaging in each conversation.
The student I was lecturing who used an analogy from gaming to demonstrate a beautiful picture of the grandness of God.
The community family who demonstrated the holistic nature of loving their neighbor, and the importance of staying for the long haul.
Jesus often used the last, the least and the lost to teach His disciples.
The widow who demonstrated such radical generosity (Mark 12).
The tax collector whose life was transformed (Luke 19).
The prostitute who demonstrated an incredible love for Jesus (Luke 7).
The disciples were often expected to learn from these people and from their responses to Jesus.
Leaders need to practice the posture of a learner. Learning from books, learning from those ahead of them, yes, but also being willing to learn from others around them.
When you are fully open to learn from those around you, it’s obvious. People pick up on your interest, and they feel valued. More than that, in seeking to learn from them, you actively demonstrate that they are valued and have important things to contribute in this world.
Leaders need to demonstrate the heart of a learner and posture themselves to recognise the value and the work of God in every individual.
Who are you willing to learn from?