One of the chapters in the book I wrote a few years ago, Be An Inspirational Leader: Engage, Inspire, Empower, is titled “Be Teachable.” In it I wrote,
“No matter their title, position, experience, education, or expertise, inspirational leaders know that they don’t know it all, and they remain open to learning new, different, and potentially better methods and information. They realize that without an attitude of teachability, leaders plateau, sabotaging their own success and that of those they lead.”
While it can be difficult for a leader to balance strength and confidence with an attitude of humble teachability, it is a critical characteristic of successful, inspirational leaders!
Recently I shared the following post on LinkedIn:
In the comments on that post, my wonderful friend and colleague John Cox, CEO at The Rome Group, shared this great true story and excellent success tip:
“Dan, when I was a young consultant working at McKinsey, I had a manager who kept a piece of white paper folded up in his pocket. Every now and then he would remove the folded piece of paper, glance at it and put back into his pocket. One day I asked him what was on the paper. He showed it to me. On the paper was written ‘maybe they are right.’ To this day, I carry a sheet of paper in my pocket with the same message.”
What a simple but powerful message! How incredibly, critically important it is for a leader to realize that he or she is not always right, and that the wisdom of others should be heeded, because “maybe they are right!”
