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Ray Jorgensen, Ph. D. "We are Part of the Problem and the Solution Simultaneously" 00:03:30 minutes |
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| Learning is Leading-- an excerpt from JLC's forthcoming book! |
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by Ray Jorgensen, Ph.D and Dena Hurst, Ph.D To explain why leading and learning are synonymous, reflect on the words of Eric Hoffer: In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. In other words, learning is the key to remaining adaptable and flexible in times of change; those who are bound by certainty eventually become obsolete. As leaders should be those who remain ahead of the tides of change, they must by definition be learners. And as leaders should raise others to be adaptable and flexible, they must encourage learning in those whom they lead. Now, to give this discussion a few more twists… Leaders are at their best when they are learning, and not when they are teaching. It would seem natural, especially in our culture, to revere the wise leader who knows all. The problem with this, however, is that it is a myth. Leaders cannot know all, not about their organization, their industry, their environment, their people. And when leaders think they know all, they become trapped in certainty and risk becoming obsolete. And when those who follow them think the leaders know all, they risk stifling their own creativity by limiting their knowledge to that of their leaders. As was pointed out earlier, diversity in ideas is a powerful and natural resource for any organization. Why would any leader limit the creation and sharing of ideas for the sake of being right? Leadership is not having all of the answers. And leadership is not teaching one set of ideas. Further, remember the old saying about leaders being born and not made? Well, leaders are not born. They do not have some magic quality that distinguishes them from the rest of humanity. Leaders are made, and they are made from the sum of their learning experiences. The more they learn, the better the quality of their leadership. The more they remain learners, the more the quality of their leadership will continue to improve. By being in a position of learning, leaders are consistently open to the ideas of others, less concerned with the need to be right or to bear all responsibility and less focused on creating a world in their image. They become more intent on nurturing the organizations they lead and on growing the potential of the individuals in their care. |
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