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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king who will no more be admonished. For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.
Ecclesiastes 4:13-14
Even God Does New Things!
- God embarks on new projects, new schemes, new ideas and new plans. So can you!
BEHOLD, I WILL DO A NEW THING; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19
- God gives new languages to his people.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; THEY SHALL SPEAK WITH NEW TONGUES
Mark 16:17
- God gives brand new instructions to his servants. Every instruction has an expiry date. Be ready for new directions!
A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE UNTO YOU, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 13:34
- God makes us into brand new people who have never existed before.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
- God makes new agreements and he issues fresh calls to service. If you are open, you will hear his voice.
In that he saith, A NEW COVENANT, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Hebrews 8:13
Do you consider yourself a leader? Then decide to never stop learning. You need to understand that learning does not only take place by reading books. You can learn a lot from the things around you. You can learn a lot from the people that you see every day. You can learn a lot from your fellows. You can learn a lot from rival companies and businesses. Just don’t stop learning new things! May you receive grace to learn new things all the time!
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