“Those who know, do. Those that understand, teach.” – Aristotle
“I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” – Robert Frost
I am teaching this week at CEO Space International, listed in a Forbes Magazine article this year as one of the “Must-Attend 2013 Conferences for Entrepreneurs.” I’ve been a part of the faculty since 2007, teaching about 25 classes each year.
I have shared strategic information with new and experienced entrepreneurs in both business and in nonprofit work. Those who have attended my sessions and applied my principles report that the information has been helpful to them in building a high-performance culture.
However, I have learned more than anyone else.
To begin with, I stand up in front of the room and share the fact that I’ve made mistakes. In fact, I don’t claim to be an expert in leadership. I report that I am a student of leadership because there is so much to learn. I want to continue learning and growing in my craft. (See the post on May 27 about what I have learned about leadership from my Bowen Family Systems sessions.)
People sometimes hire me as a leadership and strategy coach – those who have enough awareness to understand that there is room to grow, and that someone outside their sphere of relationships can actually help them progress in a more direct pathway to goal achievement.
Once, a man who was intending to engage me made an interesting statement, after having several conversations about strategy, sequence, and leadership. He seemed to determine that these topics were “Self Improvement” and declared to me that he had read the books and was good. He didn’t need any more self improvement. I was speechless. The answer that occurred to me later was, “I suppose that you also have found the end to the Internet.”
I learned to talk about my work in a very different way moving forward.
We are sometimes our own worst barriers to knowledge and to success. I have a coach who asks me great questions. In these questions I find great wisdom and gain clarity for my thinking. Here’s a good blog post from Dan Rockwell, “The Power of Second Questions”: http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/the-power-of-second-questions/
Teaching and coaching are in the same space. They are both a form of teaching. By preparing to teach, the teacher learns. By listening, the coach learns. By being present and active in engaging the student, the coach and teacher become teachable.
We are teachable only if we are open to receiving the messages present. The messages received are only valuable if we act on those messages.
We learn from brilliant people, so why not surround ourselves with smart, wise people all the time?
We learn from those who are eager to learn and ask us good questions. So, it’s good to pay attention to all questions, even the seemingly bad questions.
We learn from those whom we perceive to be ignorant and unteachable. I learned that my words were inadequate when I got an unexpected response to my statement.
Teaching and coaching are more valuable to everyone concerned if the engagement is based on relationship.
Hugh’s Leadership Principle #2 is about relationships – it’s the basis for results.
Hugh Ballou
The Transformational Leadership Strategist
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