I had a good friend send me a podcast to listen to yesterday. It was John Maxwell on the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, and I’m grateful I listened.
During the podcast, John was asked who he was learning from currently in his life. His response–everyone.
My cynical side took over for just a moment as I thought to myself, what a “great” answer. Then, I realized it was a great answer. When someone who is synonymous with leadership answers a question that way, I should probably pay attention.
There’s something about someone who is willing to say they’re not too smart or experienced to learn from anyone. It’s an attitude of humility worth cultivating. And it’s an attitude that ensures the people around you will be willing to work with you for years to come.
But the struggle comes in the choice.
It’s a choice to listen more than you talk (John guessed he tried to listen 80% of the time and only talk 20%).
It’s a choice to ask engaging questions, and wait for the answers.
It’s a choice to not assume yourself an expert in a given situation.
It’s a choice to value the person in front of you more than yourself.
Today, as you go through the day, I want to challenge you to learn from those around you. Learn from everyone. People older than you, younger, more naive, more seasoned, and with different views all have something we can learn. Do the hard work of humbling yourself and learning from someone around you.
Part of learning from everyone includes blogs! If you haven’t subscribed to get 3QL posts in your inbox, click here and do that now.