Having a teachable spirit is the most important element of success in life, ministry, and relationships. If you have reached a place where you can no longer learn anything, you are dead. Ben Herbster said, "The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we can become." If you do not have a teachable spirit you will never fulfill your God-given capabilities, or enjoy your God-given gifts. Someone who is teachable will almost always have the following traits:

1. A Spirit of Humility You cannot tell a "know-it-all" anything he thinks he already knows. Or as Erwin G. Hall puts it, "We can't learn anything new until we can admit that we don't already know everything." Teachable people approach life with an understanding that they can learn from anybody regardless of that person's state, status, or station in life. Such a spirit involves humility, and such humility keeps the door open for knowledge and truth to find a lodging place in our hearts.



2. A Hunger for Wisdom on a Daily Basis It is often said, "Knowledge is proud because it knows so much, wisdom is humbled because it knows so little." People who are teachable have a great desire to learn on a daily basis. Abraham Lincoln, arguably one of the wisest presidents in our nation's history said, "I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday."



3. Opened Eyes and Unclogged Ears I try to learn something new every day that can help me become a better person and Christian. Not only do I read constantly, but I try to find truisms in common, run-of-the-mill, ordinary situations. Wisdom and truth abounds, but we must pursue it. If you intentionally look for ways to grow in your faith, God will supply the venues for you to find truth.



4. A Closed Mouth An open mind and a closed mouth provide an atmosphere conducive for learning. Doug Larson said, "Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would have preferred to talk" Leaders have to speak; it is part of the job. But a leader who rarely listens is hardly learning enough to continue leading. I love what Hans Finzel said, "If you can't be silent, you will have nothing to say."



5. A Positive Outlook Learners are able to find opportunities in every situation; even, or should I say, especially, in adverse ones. Those with a teachable spirit see adversity as an opportunity to do something better. I certainly do not welcome hardships and trials into my life; but I have come to realize something about adversity: when it shows up, my spiritual ears usually perk up because I know God is about to speak up.



6. A Desire to be Around Growing People Learners genuinely want to learn; therefore, most learners I know, want to be around people who can teach them. Some of the greatest moments in my life have been in coffee shops with people who have invested into my spiritual growth. Surround yourself with people of wisdom, experience, and spiritual insight; and then ask God to allow some of it to rub off on you.



7. A Willingness to Apply What they Learn Teachable people not only pursue truth, they find ways to implement truth in their lives. John Maxwell said, "The true value of teachability comes when we take something that we learn and apply it." We are instructed to be "doers" of the Word of God. The only way to be a "doer" is to be a learner, and the only way to be a learner is to have a teachable spirit.

Teachability is not so much about competence and mental capacity as it is about attitude. It is the desire to listen, learn, and apply. It is the hunger to discover and grow. It is the willingness to learn, unlearn, and relearn. I love the way legendary basketball coach John Wooden states it: "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."


Leaders, they stop learning, they stop leading. But if they remain teachable and keep learning, they will be able to keep making an impact as leaders. Whatever your talent happens to be - whether it's leadership, craftsmanship, entrepreneurship, or something else - you will expand it if you keep expecting and striving to learn.

Futurist and author John Naisbitt believes that "the most important skill to acquire is learning how to learn." Here is what I suggest as you pursue teachability:


1. Learn to listen.

American writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau wrote, "It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." Being a good listener helps us to know people better, to learn what they have learned, and to show them that we value them as individuals.

As you go through each day, remember that you can't learn if you're always talking. As the old saying goes, "There's a reason you have one mouth and two ears." Listen to others and remain humble, and you will learn things that can help you expand your talent.


2. Understand the learning process.

Here's how learning typically works:

STEP 1: Act.

STEP 2: Look for your mistakes and evaluate.

STEP 3: Search for a way to do it better.

STEP 4: Go back to Step 1.

Remember, the greatest enemy of learning is knowing. And the goal of all learning is action, not knowledge. If what you are doing does not in some way contribute to what you or others are learning in life, then question its value and be prepared to make changes.


3. Look for and plan teachable moments.

If you look for opportunities to learn in every situation, you will expand your talent to its potential. But you can also take another step beyond this and actively seek out and plan teachable moments. You do that by reading books, visiting places that inspire you, attending events that prompt you to pursue change, and spending time with people who stretch you and expose you to new experiences.


4. Make your teachable moments count.

Even people who are strategic about seeking teachable moments can miss the whole point of the experience. I say this because for many years I've been a speaker at conferences and workshops - events that are designed to help people learn. But I've found that many people walk away from an event and do very little with what they heard.

We tend to focus on learning events instead of the learning process. Because of this, I try to help people take action steps that will help them implement what they learn. I suggest that in their notes, they pay special attention to


Points they need to think about Changes they need to make Lessons they need to apply Information that they need to share Then after the conference, I recommend that they create to-do lists based on what they took note of, then schedule time to follow through.


5. Ask yourself, "Am I really teachable?"

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: all the good advice in the world won't help if you don't have a teachable spirit. To know whether you are really open to new ideas and new ways of doing things, ask yourself the following questions:

Am I open to other people's ideas?

Do I listen more than I talk?

Am I open to changing my opinion based on new information?

Do I readily admit when I am wrong?

Do I observe before acting on a situation?

Do I ask questions?

Am I willing to ask a question that will expose my ignorance?

Am I open to doing things in a way I haven't done before?

Am I willing to ask for directions?

Do I act defensive when criticized, or do I listen openly for truth?


If you answered no to one or more of these questions, then you have room to grow in the area of teachability. You need to soften your attitude, learn humility, and remember the words of John Wooden: "Everything we know we learned from someone else!"


the truth is that growth is only possible when we are willing to adapt a teachable spirit. That means having a passion to learn, possessing an intention to learn daily, and reflecting on what we're learning to know how to apply it.


Picture your personal growth as a garden-nothing that grows in a garden springs to life on its own. Gardens require planning, cultivation, and the right environment. As the gardener, you must be willing to prepare the soil, sow the seeds, water, feed, mulch and weed. It's an intentional process-and it must happen every day.


So how can we cultivate a growth environment, our own development garden?

By adapting a teachable spirit. When we're willing to seek out and learn lessons from others, from experience, and from reflection, then we're able to increase our capacity for growth.


Here are five practices I've adopted to help me keep a teachable spirit:

When you're intentional about growth, you come to realize that you're surrounded by growth opportunities every day. George Bernard Shaw said, "The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react." That's so true-when you get intentional about growth, you discover that good or bad, up or down, there are opportunities for you to grow in every situation. The key is looking for them.


Growth doesn't come looking for you-you have to go and find it. That means being willing to step outside yourself by asking questions of the people and situations that surround you. The fastest way to find out what we don't know is to ask questions. The best way to deepen our understanding is to ask questions. Questions are the keys that open hearts and minds-especially our own.