60 Reasons Leaders Stop Learning =========================== “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” -Henry Ford Competent, lazy leaders are dangerous. “Why fix something that’s working?” “I was promoted to this position for a reason.” “I’ve seen this movie before.” Beware of highly skilled, non-learning leaders. I Already Know How To Swim This summer my son, Sebastian, refused to take swimming lessons. Why? Because he “already knows how to swim.” Well, technically, I suppose that’s true. And if he were to fall off a dock, I’d want him to believe it. REAL leaders inspire confidence while exposing growth opportunities 60 Reasons Leaders Stop Learning =================== This week, to kick off our last leg of the REAL model, Learning, I’ve been asking leaders across many contexts why leaders stop learning. Here’s the top 60. Don’t fall into these traps. Be deliberate in your learning. If you’re already a great leader, read more closely. Leadership is never handled. Leaders stop learning when they… LISTENING 1. Stop listening (#1 by a landslide) 2. Stop doing something with what they hear 3. Have closed minds 4. Allow talking to become more important than listening PURPOSE 5. No longer connect with the purpose (#2 answer) 6. Forget WHY they are doing 7. Become complacent 8. Think they’ve accomplished their goal EGO 9. Get distracted by their own desires or success 10. Have their own agenda 11. Let ego get in the way 12. Think they have all the answers 13. Have only “past tense” conversations with themselves 14. Have seen it all before 15. Are not vulnerable 16. Create an appearance of being omniscient 17. Are insecure 18. Assume they’ve learned everything there is to learn 19. Stop focusing outward 20. Believe they’re the accomplishment PASSION 21. Lose their passion 22. Lose their flow 23. Become complacent 24. No longer love what they do 25. Lost sight of their dreams and goals 26. Don’t feel energized and inspired 27. Lose their passion to motivate and influence others 28. Feel irrelevant 29. Stop caring 30. Lose interest 31. Become disengaged FAILURE 32. Are afraid to fail 33. Seldom fail 34. Stop failing 35. Success becomes more important than growth (my personal favorite) 36. Are afraid to develop new skills 37. Are afraid to take risks 38. Stop believing in their ability to grow STRESS 39. Are stressed 40. Are marginalized 41. Are exhausted 42. Are comfortable QUESTIONS 43. Stop being inquisitive 44. Stop asking “dumb” questions 45. No longer encourage feedback and ideas CHALLENGE 46. Fail to connect the dots between where they are and where they want to be 47. Stop challenging themselves and their team 48. Can’t measure progress CHANGE 49. Stop being creative in their leadership approach 50. Become resistant to change 51. Assume they’ve learned everything there is to learn 52. Aren’t open to possibility EMPOWERMENT 53. Are disempowered 54. Tasks become more important than people 55. Believe success comes from control TEAMWORK 56. Stop believing in teamwork 57. Stop developing their team BONUS 58. Are dead 59. Stop breathing 60. Your turn. Leaders stop learning when__________. Never stop learning.
Posted on: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:37:43 +0000