There is much power and truth in the statement, “The teacher learns more than the student.”
Credible studies consistently prove that one of the most effective ways to learn, improve and apply knowledge, skills, techniques, and wisdom is to teach. And so it is with leadership.
Regardless of your level within your organization or the stage of your career, the opportunities to teach leadership are virtually limitless. There are many opportunities to teach and model leadership excellence within your organization. Just a few of the more obvious include:
- Your direct reports
- The people, team or teams for which you are responsible
- Collaborating with colleagues to teach and model particular leadership strengths across your organization
- Literally scores, if not hundreds of other opportunities to volunteer to teach and model leadership throughout your organization
Most communities are downright desperate for leaders who are willing to teach and model leadership excellence. Volunteering to teach and model leadership is an excellent opportunity and strategy to engage your community, give back to your community, and to position yourself as an effective leader within your community. Just a few minutes brainstorming will no doubt uncover 50 or more fulfilling opportunities to teach and model leadership while supporting and serving your community. Some of the more obvious opportunities include high schools, junior colleges, four year colleges, graduate programs, chambers of commerce, all kinds of service clubs, and all kinds of community service organizations that need more effective leadership. The list is almost endless.
The return on investment for all concerned by teaching and modeling leadership excellence throughout your community is nothing less than outstanding! Just a few examples include:
- Engaging with and serving your community
- Giving back to your community
- Appropriately positioning yourself as a credible leader within your community as well as your healthcare organization
- Meeting and learning from people you might not otherwise ever meet
- Engaging people and organizations that can be very helpful to the mission and strategies of your healthcare organization
- Enhance and improve your current and future leadership performance
- Enhance your credibility and positioning for promotions within your organization or other healthcare organizations across America
The potential return on investment, for everyone involved, is nothing less than outstanding!
Are you serious about improving your leadership effectiveness and impact… now and in the future? If so, proactively seek opportunities to teach and model leadership… anywhere and everywhere possible. Through focus, preparation, teaching, communicating, modeling and learning from your students, you will in fact learn more, retain more and apply more than your students.
It has always been. It will always be. Teach, teach, teach and model. The results and return on investment will pay outstanding dividends not only for your life, but for the lives of those you teach and for the lives of those your students teach.
There is no better way to learn, retain, improve and consistently apply than to teach. It has always been. It will always be!
