Leadership – Life Long Learning

Proverbs 6:6-11 (MSG) You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy--do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!



Diligence in living your life or in your work (and especially if you are running a business) is vital to healthy companies and a healthy personal growth.

Leaders must have the capacity to observe all that life offers, to learn and then apply that knowledge wisely in the work place. This is a process of life-long learning - antithesis of laziness.

Much may be learned from the study of ant behavior. (Link here for more.) For example, ants may be the only group of animals besides us in which interactive teaching behavior has been observed during their life. That learning seems also to be future-focused, teaching younger ants what they need to know to be effective producers.

Like the ant, leaders should be mentoring. Sharing the “tricks of the trade.” Allowing the “mentee” to discover some “wrong ways” to do something so that a better way may be learned. Answering questions with questions or telling a story and letting the employee work at discovery. Learning. Leaders are then building a succession plan that has a potential of success.

Who are you teaching? Who are your grooming?



Copyright ©2009 by P. Griffith Lindell