Why You Need To Learn Before You Lead

There was this young guy that I met some years back where I did my internship. He was a staff of the organisation. Due to his performance, skills, talent, and hard work, he was promoted to the supervisory role of his department. However, instead of acting like he was omniscient or that he knows everything, he had to still spend some time, learning from his managers listening to his team members, and even improving on his communication skills. He was willing to humble himself to learn before exercising his authority. This made him to be respected as a leader, and his leadership was so effective. Others did not have any problem following him because they saw value in him. This is why it is always good to learn before you lead.

Leadership is something that everyone would desire at some point in their life. For example, in the family, at home, in one group or the other, in the neighborhood, within the community, or even at the higher levels. However, there is something about the concept of leadership that not everyone have really understood, which is; your willingness to learn should precede your quest for leadership. Obviously, you do not know everything, so learning is not an option, but a mandate if you will lead well. If you see a leader who does not learn, they will be prone to taking wrong decisions, misusing their authority, or even abusing power. This is why I have always believed that the best of the leaders are those who are also the best of the learners.

Before leading effectively, you have to develop wisdom, knowledge, discipline, and understanding before you take responsibilities for others. Trust me, leadership is not just about the position you occupy, or the portfolio you are given, but it is also about the impact you create, your influence, and your problem-solving skills. It is not about staying in one corner and giving instructions, but it is more about guiding others in wisdom, setting good examples for them, and being involved in their growth. If you want to know the success of any leader, look at the people they are leading.

One of the vital reasons why learning is important is because leadership directly or indirectly affects people's lives in ways you may never expect. One single decision can alter the course of someone's life permanently. A leader's decision can influence the team, affect the organisation, and many other aspects. Now imagine if the decision is taken without proper understanding, it may cause a lot of damages, confusion, or even setbacks. This is the reason why preparation is absolutely very important. Before a leader will lead, they must first developed themself. After all, you can only develop others when you have developed yourself.

Another reason to learn is that it also builds humility. The people who are always willing to learn will understand that they do not possess infinite knowledge, nor do they know everything in the world. This will make them to remain open to correction, advice, and growth. Pride often comes with poor judgement, which can affect someone's leadership negatively. But humility makes it worthwhile. In addition to building humility, learning also builds experience, which can teach valuable lessons in life. The truth is that leadership skills are not born with people, rather they are developed through observation, listening, paying attention, and taking responsibilities. Someone who has not learnt patience, for example, will struggle to lead people with understanding. Small things will get them angry, and they may not be able to manage stress.

It is worthy to note that good leaders are also good listeners. This is not just about hearing what others are saying, but listening to understand, not just to respond. Listening is also part of the learning processes that are required to produce a good leader. Understand that your perception about life may not be the best, there are still different perceptions and perspectives that you need to welcome to be able to make better decisions. If a leader does not listen to their teammates, they may begin to feel undervalued and ignored, and they may lose their willingness to follow the leader.

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