A Teachable Spirit

Dr. John Conley, who as I have mentioned in the past was a mentor of mine while he was President of Circleville Bible College, told me one day that one of the mark of a leader is how they accept correction and whether or not they have a teachable spirit.  Let's look at both:

• how do you accept correction?  The most common response most make when being corrected is to become defensive in their spirit and usually in their retort.  They reply with excuses and and reasons why they should not be corrected, or even held accountable.  A defensive response is the mark of an individual too proud to realize they are indeed human with room for improvement.  A defensive response clearly says I'm not really a leader, instead I'm looking for others/circumstances to blame.
• do you have a teachable spirit?  Do you recognize that you could be better than you are now?  Do you understand that no matter the level of expertise you have that the quality of the relationship you have with your manager and your employees demands that you keep an open mind to the possibility that you might not know everything?  A teachable spirit implies a willingness to accept instruction as an opportunity for growth.

The problem in both of these is the individual's personal self-actualization.  Our insecurities perceive any attempt at instruction or correction as personal attacks and we respond with all the fervor of our fight or flight instinct.  Only the individual who has laid aside this insecurity and replaced it with a new perception of individual worth AND potential for growth can meet this standard.  I hope that this describes you.