I previously suggested that a leaders approach (and effectiveness) are influenced by those who lead us. Simply put, if we are being led well, we are more able to lead to our full potential and if we are not led well our effectiveness is hindered. There is another side to the matter though, another angle or factor. It is the receptivity of the leader to the leadership of the one above him or her. If one has a teachable attitude, they can learn much from those over them and will benefit more fully from that relationship. It will consequently enhance their leadership ability. There are a number of reasons why one might not be teachable which I have observed over the years. It’s worth exploring those. You will notice that they overlap a bit.
A person can be overconfident in their own knowledge or ability. Overconfidence can be a form of pride or could merely be that others have persuaded them that they are amazing and great. Overconfidence might actually reflect an insecurity that is being covered up. It can be easier to pretend we have it all together than to face our weakness or fears. Regardless, this creates a very unteachable spirit. Sometimes people mask the overconfidence with a false humility. They will put themselves down and doubt their ability vocally while pretending to appreciate the advise or guidance of their leader. Then when it comes time to act, they do things their way because they know what is best anyway.
A person can lack an undertanding of true humility. I believe that I am still learning what true humility is after all these years of being a leader of others. It’s a bit complicated to work out how one really lives out the instruction of Paul to consider others before yourself. We think of the humble person as the one who verbalizes a sense of smallness but true humility is honest about our abilities. So, for example, if I could shoot an apple off your head at 50 yards away, and told you that, I am not lacking humility if I am merely stating a fact. If however I am boasting in my ability to gain the approval of others, it is not humble at all. I think I have wandered down a tangent here. One of the realities of humility is that it causes us to gladly submit to those in authority over us. If we do that we are teachable. If we do not, we perhaps have authority issues. We don’t have to be overconfident to ignore the guideance of those in authority above us. For some it’s a case of lacking confidence in the one that God has placed over us.
A person can have a skewed theology. Two areas come to mind. One I have seen more than the other. If a person has a weak understanding of jurisdiction (who God has placed over whom or what), it can easily make them unteachable. If they believe that the spirit is telling them all they need to know… they may not be listening to the very people that God has placed in their lives to speak truth to them.. So the two areas that come to mind are ones understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit and ones understanding of jurisdiction or authority.
A person can be closed minded. I am not an advocate of being so open minded that your brains fall out, but I have met some who just are not open to new ideas. Their perception of information or knowledge is so rigid that they simply cannot engage the ideas of others. This makes one unteachable. It’s not always that they are arrogant and think they are right. For some, they just don’t want to think outside the box. I would also have to qualify my comments here to say there are some views that are so absurd or unorthodox that we don’t need to take them seriously. Yet the teachable person can see value in listening to the perspective of others in order to evaluate their own.
A person can be angry. Anger is an odd reality that affects many lives more than we realise. Some people, due to circumastances in their life such as hurt, live with a considerable amount of anger that resides just below the surface. One youth pastor when someone suggested a solution to a challenge turned and snapped at the person saying “well, do want to just do my job then?” An angry person takes advice and suggestions as criticism even when it is said in kind and loving ways. They see it as an attack and it brings their anger to the surface rather quickly.
I imagine you can think of other factors that make a leader unteachable. My list is no where near complete and obviously these areas can overlap or be blended. The matter of teachability is vital to the health of a leader though. Without it we will not grow. When we are unteachable, we tend to get stuck and everything gets worse rather than better. So, what have you seen in this regard?
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