SEARCH
My First Book:
What Young Leaders Don’t Know
Posted in: Uncategorized by DannyTice on January 4, 2010
The famous Chuck Swindoll, radio Bible teacher and an infamous American Pastor, was recently interviewed by the Catalyst organization. Swindoll said something radical in the interview. He said, “I have never seen a wise young person. Wisdom comes from experiencing some failure.” Swindoll went on to say that he has seen a lot of gifted and talented young people but never has he seen a wise young person. It is almost impossible to have great wisdom in a short time span. Wisdom is accumulated by listening to others that are older and more experienced than you. It is also gained when we experience failures and successes in life. In addition we also gain wisdom by consistently walking with God year after year. Recently a young staffer at BSCC asked me to do a monthly leadership mentoring session with him. I immediately said “yes.” I could see in his eyes a hunger to learn. I also saw the humility that made him realize that the old guy on the other side of the desk may have learned something in the last 30 years of ministry that could be helpful to him. The young staffer had humility and people with humility have open ears to learn from others. Pride and arrogance make people of any age unteachable but they especially make young leaders closed to seasoned input. When we are proud our ears are shut but when we are humble they are wide open. Craig Groeschel of Life Church TV recently said at a conference I was attending, “many young leaders in their 20’s are not open to learn from seasoned leaders.” I could hear the frustration in his voice which I totally resonated with. He cited that when young leaders came to talk with him that they did all the talking and seldom asked any questions. Being teachable expresses itself by its inquisitiveness. Even Jesus asked questions of the spiritual leaders of his day.
Luke 2:46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. NIV
Luke 2:51-52 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. NIV
John Maxwell, now a leadership giant in the church and cooperate world, used to take his vacation each year in some city that had a great church and consequently a great church leader. He would make an appointment to ask questions of the successful leader. Maxwell would walk in with a tape recorder and note pad to ask questions. This tells me something about the character of John Maxwell – he was teachable and his openness to the wisdom of others propelled him into incredible success. None of us are born wise – we gather wisdom from others that know more than we know. The most important thing to know is that you don’t know everything but you can know by asking somebody that does know. No leader knows everything but there are certainly some seasoned leaders that have low hanging fruit that is within the reach of younger leaders that can reach out and pick it.
Comments
I agree with aquiring wisdom from older, wiser leaders in the church. This important and all young men and women should do this to grow. Men teaching young men, women teaching young women. I will state a warning about any teaching though. We must be discerning young and old to the teachers life, motive and history. I have been thrush into postions of leardership as a young man [ too young spiritually for the postion], only to be disllushioned by older self- center men only interested in their own agenda [ not God's]. I know we all need to go through tough life experinces to grow, but sometimes these types of experimces can strip us of our youthful joy, compassion and “fire”. There should be teaching on safeguarding your self in these areas as well.
Comment by Scott W. Smith on February 24, 2010 at 5:17 pm