This quote, by JFK, is very profound. In my experience, a good leader must constantly be in the learning mode. Though it is not expected that a leader of any organization should know the specific details of a subordinates job, they should have a very good understanding of what their people are doing.
I've worked for people who had a very solid understanding of what was going on below them. I've also worked for people who had no clue and did not bother to try. I can say, the former was a much better person to work for. I believe you can figure out who I respected more.
I strongly believe in the saying, you are never too old to learn something new. I think a person should attempt to learn at least one thing new everyday.
I strongly believe in the saying, you are never too old to learn something new. I think a person should attempt to learn at least one thing new everyday.
So true. And so missed by too many. Learner has the connotation of someone being at the mercy of... This means that you don't know "something" which can give a perception of weakness. So did Kennedy mean learning in private or public?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. After a quick search, JFK said this when he was addressing the the annual meeting of the Dallas Citizens Council, joined by the members of the Dallas Assembly. He was saluting the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest.
ReplyDeleteThis was the day before he died, which, coincidentally, was 47 years ago today. I don't know if he said this somewhere else.
It is my assumption that he would not limit his meaning to just learning from a single source; public or private. I suspect, as a fellow Naval officer, especially one who served time at sea, he knew the importance of learning from subordinates as well as from formal sources. Of course, this is just speculation on my part.
That's very powerful. This has accentuated my theory that; A leader is a reader & a learner. If you are a leader and you do not read, you will wither and become like a leather.
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