Disturbing Signs That You Are Not Learning New Things

The Art of Leadership By Dag Heward-Mills

A true leader is a true learner! Can you ever stop learning new things? No, you can’t! If what you know now is all that you will ever know, then you are to be pitied. I learn so many new things every year that I get amazed. That is why the Bible teaches that to the making of many books there is no end. Whenever you discover any of the following signs in yourself, you must treat it as an emergency because it is a sign that you are not learning new things.

1. Not reading anything new. Assess yourself! Are you reading a new book? Are you reading new material? Are you studying something new? This is a mark of learning new things. It is disturbing to realise that you are not reading anything new. So something about it! Get a book!

2. Not implementing any new ideas. When you get to a season in which you are not implementing any new ideas in your home, your marriage, in your business or in your life, you are in stagnation and not moving forward. There are always new ways of doing the things you are engaged in. When you are learning new things, you find yourself implementing new ideas often.

3. Not being under pressure to study, to practice and to train. If you are a singer who has to learn a new song, you will be under pressure to learn the lyrics, practice and train to do this new song. If you needed to do a presentation to a group of people, you would be under pressure to study the material and do a good presentation. If you were a good teacher, you would always be under pressure to learn new things in your area in order to pass on to your students.

4. Not being conscious of mockers and scoffers around you. Scoffers and mockers gather around anyone doing something new; waiting to make a bad comment or say he will not make it. An innovator is at risk of being mocked. When you are learning new things, you sense people observing you. In fact, it could put you under a lot of tension. But you will triumph!

Do not be one of those who feel that they know everything. This would be unfortunate! No true leader thinks like that. I have realised that I can learn things from people in my own city. I can learn things from spiritual leaders as well as secular leaders. I make it my business to learn from anyone. The Bible strongly cautions against getting to a place where you cannot be corrected or directed into a new thing: