Leaders Are Learners

Leaders Are Learners! - Robert Rohm ~ / ~

Much has been written about leadership over the years and most of it has been very helpful. When I say that leaders are learners, what I mean is that leaders are always on the outlook for some new area of personal growth. As soon as a person believes that there is no more room for growth in a particular area, it will not be long before he or she will be going backwards. That is just the way life works. It is a constant strain to move forward in any endeavor that we might choose. 

When I read a book or study a topic, I try to glean as much from it as possible. Sometimes I read information from which I am already familiar. Other times I read on a topic and do not really know where to start. However, that is the nature of learning anything. No one is born an expert on a particular topic. You can rest assured that anyone who is an expert on anything has spent a lot of time, effort, and energy learning how to better perform that particular task, whatever it might be. Noted speaker and author Brian Tracy says, “Every master was once a disaster!” 

I believe when you wake up every morning, you should wake up with a little bit of excitement that it is a day that has not yet been lived. It is untouched and unexplored. Therefore, there is something new and different that will happen. When you approach life that way, it takes on a whole new meaning. It becomes an adventure rather than drudgery. 

I once heard someone say there are two ways to wake up every morning. One is, “Good morning, Lord!” and the other is, “Good Lord, it’s morning!” I guess you can tell which one I think is better! 

If you are not learning and growing in your personal life, then this means you really do not have much of a future. All you have is a longer today! You will just continue to live your life based on what you already know and have experienced up until now. Time will pass and life will get longer, but not better. Is that really living? Is that really any kind of quality life at all? I think you and I both know the answer to that. I do not think I have ever been more excited about life than I am today. However, tomorrow is already looking pretty good! 

You might say, “Wait a minute! Aren’t things terrible in the world? Isn’t our economy in trouble? Aren’t there wars being fought? Aren’t people starving to death? I certainly think there is something to be said about every one of those situations. However, I refuse to let what is going on all around me control what is going on inside of me. I have found that if I focus on my own personal growth and development; if I focus on learning and growing; if I focus on studying a subject so I can be more intelligent when I am discussing it with family or friends; that puts me in the posture of being able to actually contribute something positive to the circumstances of life rather than to simply whine about them. Believe me, there are a lot of whiners out there! 

Life, indeed, is a process. We are all on a journey and it takes a long time to develop the experience and good sense to deal with unfamiliar circumstances. I can assure you that personal growth will not happen without a conscious effort. We find what we are looking for. If we are looking for a way to make our current situation and circumstances better, we will find it. But therein lies the challenge, namely are you looking for something better? 

I believe everyone has leadership ability; it is just a matter of developing it. I know of no better way to develop your leadership skills than learning new truths and information every day. It will not only be a blessing to your own personal life, but also to those with whom you come in contact. It will indeed be a win-win situation that you can be proud of, and you will help others grow along this journey that we call life as well. 

Tip: Leaders are learners! 

Have a great week! God bless you! Dr. Robert A. Rohm