How Teachable Are You?

My grandfather told once when I was younger that he found my name in the Bible. I was a little surprised and asked him where it was. He said it was in the book of Daniel, a King by the name of NebuCHADnezzar. That was the first I had ever heard that name and it has stuck with me for a long time.

I recently read about this King again and learned some interesting things about this ruler of Babylon. He was one of the most arrogant leaders in history, self-centered and full of pride. He viewed himself as god and looked at the kingdom of Babylon as something he created.

God gave this king a vision of a huge tree, chopped down by an angel. The tree represented him. God took away his kingdom in an instant even as he was bragging about what he had accomplished. God drove him into the wilderness, where he lived like an animal, living in caves and dirt shelters. He stayed there until he recognized God as the supreme ruler of the world. He finally submitted to God, gave up control and became teachable.

Being teachable is one of the most important qualities a person can have if they want to be successful. After Nebuchadnezzar submitted to God he began a new life as King , here are some things he did to develop a teachable heart:

  1. He used grateful words – he express appreciation and blessing for God’s grace and mercy. I am sure he also used kinder words with the people around him
  2. He had a hungry mind – He wanted to grow personally in character, faith and as a leader
  3. He developed a Big-Picture perspective – He began to see things from a bigger God perspective
  4. He was dissatisfied with how things where – He was not content with the status quo
  5. He had a humble heart – He no longer viewed himself as the most important person
  6. He was real – this caused people to start to follow him. He became a magnet for high level leaders.

How teachable are you? Do you prefer to just tell people what to do? Are you willing to learn from anyone? Here are a few ways you can improve your teachablity factor:

  • Don’t believe everything people say about you – Don’t get distracted by your achievements and the accolades of others.
  • Watch how you react to mistakes – Do you admit when you make a mistake? Do you apologize or make excuses?
  • Ask questions and take notes – When you meet with people try to learn something from them. Find out about them and don’t talk so much about yourself.
  • Try something new – When was the last time you tried something for the first time? Challenges stretch us and make us better.
  • Work on your area of strength – Read, talk to other people that do what you do, search the Internet for people you can connect with to learn from. Improve in the areas you are strongest. Keep stretching.

If you are a teachable person, you will always be in demand, because you will always be changing and growing. those are the type of people that become leaders and have influence and can change the world.

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