Growth
Being Teachable
The moment you think you know enough, you've stopped growing.
Teachability is the posture of a learner: openness to new ideas, willingness to be corrected, and hunger to grow. It's not about intelligence or education. Some of the smartest people are unteachable because they think they already know. Teachability is a choice, a disposition, a willingness to admit that you don't have it all figured out.
People who remain teachable throughout life keep growing when others plateau.
Signs You're Unteachable
- Defending before understanding when corrected
- Dismissing ideas that challenge your view
- Surrounding yourself only with people who agree
- Believing you've learned enough in your field
- Getting angry or defensive when given feedback
- Rarely asking questions or seeking input
Teachability multiplies everything else. A teachable man with average talent will outgrow an unteachable man with exceptional talent. Your ceiling is set by your willingness to learn.
Cultivating Teachability
Stay curious: Ask more questions. Listen more than you talk.
Seek correction: Invite people to tell you what you're missing.
Read widely: Expose yourself to ideas different from your own.
Embrace discomfort: Growth happens at the edge of your comfort zone.
Act on what you learn: Applied knowledge demonstrates teachability.
Your Action Steps
This week: Ask someone to give you honest feedback and just listen.
This month: Read or listen to something from a perspective different from yours.
This quarter: Learn a new skill where you have to start as a beginner.