5 Roadblocks that Prevent Teachability

Matt Keller wrote a book recently that focuses on the belief that teachability is the key to everything. Teachability is the desire to learn multiplied by a willingness to change. If you have a desire to learn, but no willingness to change, you’re going to struggle. If you have no desire, but high willingness, you’re still going to struggle. In his latest book, Matt discusses the five roadblocks that hinder teachability and what leaders can do improve their influence.

Pride: Pride always leads to presumption. You have to be aware of prideful moments where we think rules don’t apply. It will cause you to settle for good instead of waiting for God’s best. Put away your sense of entitlement. You want to make it easy to receive feedback from your team, because when you reach out for their help, it keeps you humble and grounded.

Fear: As a leader grows, you’re going to have to give up control. It can really grip a leader’s heart as you start to empower others to take on responsibility you once had. Leaders who are increasing their capacity face a series of skillsets, disciplines, priorities and temptations as they reach new levels. But to get through the hurdles, you have to build in layers. When you start to hand off those former responsibilities to a team, there’s a sober-mindedness you can grow from.

Insecurity: It presents an inferiority that makes you feel as though you don’t belong or that you’re faking it. Insecurity becomes crippling when you don’t think you’re good enough, and you let it hinder your personal progress because it keeps you from learning and reaching your full potential. Find strength within your vulnerabilities because you’ll miss God-given opportunities when you try to play it safe.

Pain: When painful things happen to us from our past, it’s like laying bricks in front of us. If we don’t knock down the bricks while the cement is wet, eventually the wall gets so high that we can’t step over it, so we start to paint a new reality on the inside of it, and we become disconnected from reality. Allow yourself to take time for self-care through healthy avenues.

Pace: There is an unhealthy pace in leadership today that promotes the mentality that when your pace increases, your teachability decreases. It’s impossible to learn and grow when you’re behind the wheel driving forward. So many leaders become so focus on the next goal, they don’t process what’s in front of them, and they’re no deep learning. We have to create a space where we can process what’s happening in our life and our spirit in our own time, or the pace of our own culture devours us.