Four Traits of Teachable Leaders is an article written by Jennifer McClure - President of Unbridled Talent LLC (http://unbridledtalent.com) that is featured in the June 2015 issue of RealizingLeadership.com, an app-based magazine dedicated to developing leaders through quality, intelligent, thought-provoking articles by a wide variety of thinkers, teachers, coaches and real-life leaders. For a free 3 month-subscription to RealizingLeadership.com, visit http://realizingleadership.com/gt301/.

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FourTraits of
Teachable Leaders
by JENNIFER McCLURE
RealizingLeadership.com
No one is excluded from learning, but
many leaders self-exclude by refusing to be
teachable. Jennifer McClure discusses how
we can become better leaders through
continued improvement and growth.

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The role of a Leader can be a tough gig
- one that’s made even harder by some
who feel that they’ve reached a point in
their career where they no longer need
to submit themselves to learning and
leadership development opportunities.
As Leaders, it’s easy to think that we
got to where we are because we’re the
most capable - and as a result should be
teaching those on our teams how it’s done
based upon our experience having done it
all before. But every living thing needs to
be fed in order to survive and thrive - and
as a Leader, you do too!
So how can we be more teachable as
Leaders in an effort to learn and foster
growth? It starts by putting ourselves in
the frame of mind that we can (and
must) learn more. Best-selling author and
leadership expert John Maxwell calls this a
“teachable attitude”:
Teachability is not so much about competence
and mental capacity as it is about attitude.
It is the desire to listen, learn, and apply. It
is the hunger to discover and grow. It is the
willingness to learn, unlearn, and relearn.
I love the way legendary basketball coach
John Wooden states it: “It’s what you learn
after you know it all that counts.”
Four Traits of Teachable Leaders by Jennifer McClure

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When I teach and mentor leaders, I remind
them that if they stop learning, they stop
leading. But if they remain teachable and
keep learning, they will be able to keep
making an impact as leaders. Whatever
your talent happens to be - whether it’s
leadership, craftsmanship, entrepreneurship,
or something else - you will expand it if you
keep expecting and striving to learn.
Assuming that you’ve got the orientation
of a Teachable Leader, here are four traits
to focus on:
Trait #1: Teachable Leaders are
consistent and continuous Seekers.
To avoid stagnation as a Leader, seek out
opportunities to listen, learn and apply
knowledge not only from like-minded,
similarly situated colleagues, but also from
those who can offer different perspectives
and even contrary points of view. Read
books, blogs and news from authors and
websites that are both similar and opposite
to your way of thinking. Effective Leaders
need to be able to think through and
justify their own decision-making to many
different stakeholders, so actively seeking
out alternative perspectives in advance is a
great way to solidify – and improve – your
ideas and plans.
Trait #2: Teachable Leaders are
willing to be Receivers.
As someone who has worked with and
coached many senior level executives,
I can confirm that it’s rare for Leaders to
get honest and direct feedback from those
on their teams and in their organizations
- positive, negative or constructive. Why?
There’s still an unwritten rule within much
of the business world: “The Boss is always
right,” but an even bigger reason is that
it’s actually rare for a Leader to ask, and
be willing to receive, feedback other than
agreement with their approach or idea.
If the people on your teams aren’t willing
to or used to providing you with feedback,
teach them how. And most importantly,
act upon the feedback that you’re given.
Show your team that you have a hunger
and desire to grow and improve as a
Leader, and that they’re an important part
of that journey!
Trait #3: Teachable Leaders understand
the importance of being good Followers.
We often assign mentors to young
professionals at work to help them
gain insights and encouragement from
someone that they can model and learn
from. Regardless of your longevity in your
career or within your organization, as a
Leader, you need mentors and role-models
Four Traits of Teachable Leaders by Jennifer McClure

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too. Do you have someone in your network
who you can go to for advice and counsel?
Maybe that’s another CEO, a colleague
from a professional networking group or
an outside coach, but make sure that you
have someone who you admire and respect
to offer you a safe place to work through
problems and opportunities - and be willing
to submit to their leadership. We get better
by learning from others who have been
there/done that –- and got the t-shirt.
Trait #4: Teachable Leaders grow
stronger when they are Producers.
A great way to grow in character and
competence as a Leader is to build into
other Leaders. Are you mentoring others?
Are you actively sharing what you’re
learning as a Seeker, Receiver, and Follower?
Don’t keep all of the goodness to yourself.
Invest in others to multiply the results of
your continuous improvement efforts!
Jennifer McClure is a
Keynote Speaker, Talent
Strategies Expert and
Executive Coach who
works with clients and
companies in the areas of
leadership development,
communication and talent
strategy. She offers keynotes, workshops and
training that inspire and empower business
leaders to be more effective in their careers and
as leaders of their organization’s most valuable
resource – people. Visit Jennifer’s website at
UnbridledTalent.com and follow her on Twitter
and Facebook.
Four Traits of Teachable Leaders by Jennifer McClure