Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. 

—Mahatma Gandhi

Leadership Tip #18: Never Stop Learning

Do you remember the feeling you had in high school or college, when you couldn’t wait to graduate? When the thought of no more tests, papers, or projects brought you so much joy? Even those of us who had a decent educational experience know this feeling. Going to school in many ways makes the learning process stressful, anxiety-inducing, and even boring. 

But then, there are those teachers.

The ones that help us understand algebra (mostly). The ones that inspire us to love Shakespeare. The ones who call out a creative or intellectual gifting we didn’t know we had. The ones like my teacher in High School, Mr. “D.” 

Mr. “D.” was so passionate about History, you could hear him all the way down the hallway of our school, enthusiastically explaining the battle of Gettysburg in his classroom. He made the past come alive, and helped me appreciate how our country came to be. He helped me enjoy learning. 

Throughout my education, there were so many times I wondered “will I ever use this information?” But what I didn’t understand was that the really good teachers, like Mr. “D.,” were giving me so much more than knowledge. They were teaching me the importance and enjoyment of learning. 

In our world today, the information available is endless. It is impossible to keep up. So much so that many of us give up. Or, we only read or listen to that which pertains or interests us. But these responses short change us. And, whether we realize it or not, limit who we are able to become. 

A life without learning, is a life without growth. Even if it is simply trying food from a different culture, reading a book about a country we hear about on the news, or trying a new exercise or hobby—we are infusing our minds and bodies with experiences that grow and shape us into better people. Whereas, if we only keep doing the same things, eating the same food, watching the same shows, we stagnate. Our world becomes small. 

What many of us don’t realize, is learning doesn’t just teach us about something or someone outside of us. It also teaches us about ourselves. It broadens our understanding of what we like, it enables us to face the scary, it shows us what we’re good at, and it illuminates how we need to grow. It enriches our perspective, and makes our life bigger. 

Learning makes us better.

And if you and I want to not only be good people, but great leaders, we need to always be learning. Testing what we know with new experiences and new relationships.  We need to be stretching our understanding of not only the world, but also ourselves and who God has made us to be. 

The best leaders know they aren’t the best. They know they haven’t arrived. And above all, they know they don’t know everything. So they keep learning. 

What does learning look like for you in this season?

Where do you need to be stretched?

Have you checked out my new seven week Identity, Calling, & Career module? It is a fantastic way of learning more about who you are and what kind of leader you’re meant to be in this world!

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