Staff Core Values: Growth and Teachability
CORE VALUE #5
Growth/Teachability
We are always getting better.
{Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. -1 Corinthians 9:24}
Is it okay with you if we use our imaginations for a minute? Yes? Awesome. Imagine that you are a brand new football coach at a high school. It is the end of try-outs and you now have to make cuts and choose your players. You get to the very end and you have two possible players, but only one spot left on the team.
The first player, Greg, can bench 200. He’s a fast runner, and he never misses the ball. The second player, Dave, well… he’s not quite on the same level. On a good day, he can bench 170. He is a pretty good runner, and he catches the ball most of the time.
Sounds like an easy decision, right?
Well, what if I told you there is more to the story?
What if I told you that Greg, even though he’s got a lot going for him, is actually quite the punk? He shows up late to practice. He slacks on his workouts because he is “in good enough shape already”. Not only that, but he cops a major attitude anytime you or any of the other coaches try to give him some constructive criticism.
Dave, on the other hand, is the first one to arrive at practice and the last one to leave. He puts in more gym time than any other player and is getting stronger by the day. He practices plays and watches game tapes in his spare time, and whenever you tell him something he needs to improve on, he replies with a genuine, “Yes, sir!” (Or “Yes ma’am!”)
So, who is your choice going to be now, coach?
You see, even though Greg may be the better player today, it won’t be like that for much longer. Soon enough, Dave will become the better player of the two. Why? Because Greg stopped growing.
John Newman said, “Growth is the only evidence of life.” Similarly, William S. Burroughs said, “When you stop growing, you start dying.”
So how do we continue to grow and remain teachable?
- We are willing to re-learn that which we think we already know.
The ultimate test of whether a person is teachable is when they are asked to re-learn something they think they already know inside and out.
It’s not easy. Being teachable requires swallowing your pride. It requires trusting your leadership and maintaining a positive attitude.
We have to keep the mindset that we will never “arrive”. There is always more we can learn and improve on.
- We always strive to improve personally, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.
There is a principle we refer to as the Gap Principle. If two objects start near the same place, but grow at different rates, as time passes, the gap between the two objects gets bigger and bigger. Take a look at this video where I explain the Gap Principle in greater depth: bit.ly/thegapprinciple.
The truth is that when you are a part of a rapidly growing organization, it is essential that you are continually growing as an individual at least as fast as the org is growing. If not, the gap between where you are and where the organization is will eventually get too big.
- We are open to constructive criticism.
Going back to the example of the football players, we can probably all agree that at the end of the day, we would probably choose Dave over Greg. Firstly, because Greg has stopped growing and improving, but secondly, because teachability trumps talent. That’s worth saying again: Teachability trumps talent.
The wise leader will choose the person who is average but has potential and is teachable over the cocky hotshot who is talented but has already reached his full potential since refuses to let anyone teach him anything.
- We are engaged in our commitment to following Jesus and consistently developing disciplines.
You would think that being in ministry you would naturally spend more time reading the Bible, praying, and worshiping. But a lot of times, that doesn’t get easier just because you’re in ministry. In fact, it can actually become more difficult as you juggle everything on your plate.
We have to work harder and be even more intentional about our relationship with God than ever before. We need to spend time in His presence so that we are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and not trying to operate and minister out of our own ability.