The learning leader

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read. It will be those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn” —Alvin Toffler in his book Rethinking The Future

Knowledge is fundamental to progress. In my early working years, I worked as Administrative Officer at Adeyemi College of Education. The College Registrar at that time was a suave gentleman by the name Afolabi Ojuawo. I will never forget a statement he made in one of my many professional encounters with him. I cannot precisely remember the circumstances but I have not been able to shake off the statement. He said, “No man can function beyond the level of his knowledge”. Indeed, as I have grown in life, I have seen that statement proved over and over again. The limit of achievement is set by the limit of knowledge. In my secondary school years, we had an entire building as library and it was stocked with books on various subjects. I read every title in that library irrespective of what the subject was, before I left the school.

Sustainable success does not just happen. Those who stumble into success usually fumble and eventually tumble out of it. One of the people I follow on Tweeter is Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in the world for several years in a row. In a series of Tweets towards the end of 2016, he was recommending some books that he had read recently. I later learnt that in spite of his position and the attendant hectic schedule, one of the world’s most successful people finds time to attempt reading at least one book every week!

Jesus Christ was a life-long learner, a habit He had developed in His formative years when He frequented the synagogue, not just to worship but to learn and engage the elders in discourse. In His years of ministry, He constantly created learning sessions for His disciples. The sermon on the Mount was one of such learning sessions. So was the treatise on the Kingdom of God in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew in the Bible.

Paul the apostle, even in incarceration, was requesting that books be brought to him. Little wonder that the one who was not a disciple of Christ when Christ was alive, ended up writing about two-thirds of the epistles with such astounding profundity that baffled even those who were with Jesus!

According to Charles Darwin, famed proponent of the theory of Evolution, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most adaptable to change”.

Do you desire true greatness? Seek knowledge. In knowledge lie understanding and wisdom as well as discretion, which is said to be the greater part of valour. This is the reason why battles are fought and won on the strength of intelligence. Reconnoiter operations for the purpose of intelligence gathering and the perfecting of strategy are essential activities of any army before it engages its foe. No serious army jokes with this aspect of warfare.

The danger of ignorance outweighs the danger of knowing too much. As a matter of fact, you cannot know too much. The real danger is that you may not know enough.

Learning leaders exude a confidence that others sometimes misconstrue as arrogance. This is because more often than not, they bring an uncanny perspective and solution to knotty problems in a way that leaves many of their contemporaries wondering how they do it! Accused of being highly opinionated especially on national issues, the sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo responded, “While many men in power and public office are busy carousing in the midst of women of easy virtue and men of low morals, I, as a few others like me, am busy at my desk thinking about the problems of Nigeria and proffering solutions to them. Only the deep can call to the deep”.

There are different modes of learning and a leader should take advantage of as many as possible as the opportunities and the time present themselves. Learning can be done in formal or informal circumstances. Formal learning is done in a structured environment like a school or training seminars. The main challenge with formal education is that, more often than not, the student feels that he is being compelled to undergo it especially if it is tied to promotion or some pecuniary benefit. A few years ago in Dubai, I was privileged to facilitate an international Leadership training for Executive level staff of various organizations, especially in the public sector. Sad to say, we had a great challenge with the Nigerian participants most of who showed up late and wanted us to close early. It was evident that they were only after the certificate of participation. Most of them insisted on making their hotel arrangements in the centre of Dubai where the shopping centre was located. Turned out that they spent more time shopping than they were willing to do in class! The consequences of this kind of attitude are evident in the performance of our public sector.

Great leaders practically learn on their feet. Leaders who desire to excel place an informal demand on themselves to learn because they can find a nexus between learning and personal and professional growth. So they love to read good books. Where time or space makes reading difficult, they take advantage of audio and video platforms. Instead of moaning about the grind of traffic, they simply turn their car into a virtual university to listen to audio books or recorded lessons on a subject of interest. They don’t hesitate to sponsor themselves to seminars that build their mental and professional capacity.

Technology has largely facilitated learning as one can get information on any subject online. I became an alumnus of Harvard University and the University of Stellenbosch in the comfort of my own house, having taken courses in both universities online!

A learning leader does not waste his experiences, no matter how unpleasant. He sees every experience as a learning opportunity. To him, even crisis is an invitation to learn. This attitude and drive enable him to learn both from events and encounters with other people even in seemingly casual conversations.

Great leaders not only avidly learn, they create learning organizations. A few years ago, I was at the Head Office of Fidson Pharmaceuticals Nig. Plc. to facilitate a training for Senior Staff of the organization. I discovered something unusual in the Nigerian corporate environment. The company maintains a well-stocked library where staff are encouraged to borrow and read books. The CEO deliberately encourages learning, both at the personal and corporate levels. Little wonder that the company continues to be one of the most successful pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria.

Leaders are readers and great readers eventually become great leaders! A sage was once quoted as saying that in a few years from now, the two things that would have significantly impacted your life are the people you meet and the books you read. I concur!

Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!