Leadership and Teachability

A good leader will accept the fact that no man is an island and no man can stand alone and no
individual possess knowledge on how to do everything hence a good leader should acknowledge
that he/she doesn’t have all the answers hence there in need for input from other individuals be it
internally or in the external environment. According to Maxwell 2017), teachability is a choice,
we choose whether we are open or closed to new ideas, new experiences, others people’s ideas,
peoples feedback and willingness to change. Teachability is the pathway to making that happen.

An effective leader is humble, self-aware and willing to learn from other no matter their age and
position in the organization, Collins (2016). Being teachable is acknowledging that you don’t
have answer to everything and that you do not know something and allowing others to be able to
teach you knew things. Teachable leaders are good listeners, it is part of a leaders responsibilities
to talk, articulate vision which requires being out front and being the voice that brings clarity to
the mission of the organization Ebert (2019).When one cultivates the art of good listening, you
demonstrate a teachable attitude. Talk less and listen more.

Teachable leaders have positive attitudes since nothing will get in the way of them in leaning
process more than a bad attitude Rgib (2016). Henry ford was when he said As a leader, your
attitude will be your greatest or the greatest liability that holds you back,you choose it and you
own it teachable leaders will succeed or fail, by and large with their attitude.

Humility demonstrates stronger character than ego and pride. According to Crow (2016) in order
for one to be teachable, you need to be willing to accept criticism, advice and feedback from
those around you regardless of position. He further alluded that those leaders that have an open
mind are unprejudiced, without stubbornness and remain flexible and remain flexible at all times.
When the leader opens to different thinking one is more likely to learn new things.

During the COVID pandemic era when organizations were made to operate remotely through
zoom meetings most leaders were not techno savvy meaning that they could not access these
facilities alone they needed an individual who would be able to teach the leader on how to
operate these gadgets and it is through the attitudes of leaders to accept that they need to be
taught operating these machines in order to perform their duties efficiently and in an effective
manner.
It is apparent that leaders need to possess skills and abilities to carry out their job duties well and
earn reverence and admiration from other members of the organization. The different types of
skills, which the leaders need to possess are communication skills, time management skills,
leadership skills, problem solving skills, analytical skills, critical thinking skills, presentation
skills, decision making skills, technical skills, work ethics, and conflict resolution methods
Kapur (2019). These are the skills, which need to be put into operation throughout one’s jobs for
them to be deemed effective leaders. Furthermore, the leaders need to generate information and
put into practice the methods and approaches to up-grade these skills throughout their jobs.
According to Kapur (2019), the leaders also in some cases get enrolled in educational institutions
and training centers to up-grade their skills and abilities, particularly when they need to up-grade
their confidence levels and carry out their job duties well.

The up-gradation of skills and abilities have proven to be beneficial to the leaders as well as the
organization as a whole. The reason being, all the skills, which are stated above have meaning.
Their implementation in a productive manner would be advantageous and useful to the overall
functioning of the organization Vojta (2018). The leaders need to ensure that the subordinates
would also generate information in terms of these skills and make use of them to their best
abilities. In reputed organizations, there are initiation of training and development programs.

These programs are productive and worthwhile in augmenting the skills and abilities of the
members. Within the course of implementation of job duties as well, the employees attend
training and development programs. In this manner, they are able to generate awareness in terms
of modern and innovative strategies and methods. Therefore, it is well-understood that
possession and up-gradation of skills and abilities is a strategic characteristic of effective
leadership.

Leadership and Generosity

Generosity begets generosity and it starts by taking a risk and giving yourself away Maxwell
(2018).As a leader one commends respect anywhere and create influence, it’s not about self-
serving but about breeding values upon values.

According to Collins (2017) leaders in organizations that have transitioned from profitable to
outstanding willingly give credit to others for their organizations’ success and give generously of
themselves to benefit others. This personal example and giving spirit inspire greater personal
commitment and encourage others to look within themselves to emulate their leaders’ behaviors
two widely recognized benefits that link effective leadership and a leader’s generosity, Bernhard
(2014). This attributes enables the leaders to inspire greater personal commitment and
encourages others to look within themselves to emulate their leader’s behaviors which are
benefits of effective leadership, Conner (2018).

According to Munro& Thanem, (2018), generosity becomes an elite form of kindness, self-
sacrifice, and concern for others that is freely given out of the desire to genuinely serve. A
leader’s generosity actions stern from a unique inner truth that is found from deep within and a
realization that it is the role of a leader to give oneself to others so that others might benefit. The
irony and paradox of generosity is that those who give freely of themselves actually increase the
quality of their own lives. According to Smith and Davidson (2019), generosity improves personal
well-being and the quality of one’s life.

David Packard, co-founder of the greatly successful Hewlett-Packard Company, was nonetheless
a modest and simple man – and a benefactor to many. He and his wife, Lucille, were believers in
philanthropy and public service well before he and Bill Hewlett transformed the small electric
shop in a garage to one of America’s greatest companies Parcard (2016).

As applied to the role of leaders and as a quality that would-be leaders should consider emulating,
generosity merits thoughtful consideration. Covey (2014) identified four significant insights about
the relationship between leadership and generosity. The four insights are as follows.

Generosity earns a greater commitment from others.

By their positive example, leaders who demonstrate generosity in the ways that they live
and in their dealings with others tend to see their example followed by those with whom
they work. Generosity on the part of an organization’s leaders is reciprocated and emulated
by managers, supervisors and employees.

Generosity builds organizational good will.

Leaders who model generosity create organizational cultures that are positive and that earn
the trust of customers, regulating agencies, and the general public. The good will acquired
by leaders who are generous is responded to outside of the organization as well as within it.

Generosity honors a moral responsibility.

Generosity is perceived as morally responsible and is consistent with the mantra, “Service is
the rent we pay for living in this world.” Generosity is believed to be an acknowledgement
of the fact that the world has provided the opportunity for an organization to succeed.
Repaying that opportunity by being generous is viewed as an ethical obligation.

Generosity makes life more satisfying.

Leaders who exemplify generosity enjoy the accompanying benefits of better health, a more
satisfying life, and less stress. These leaders also feel greater personal self-regard and tend to be both
happier and more at peace.

Each of these four insights affirms the importance of leaders, or those who seek to become leaders,
adopting the qualities of generosity – not only because of the benefits to them and to their
organization but because generosity brings to individuals a higher quality of life for themselves, as
well as for those around them.

References
Allen, S., (2018). “The Science of Generosity.” John Templeton Foundation, .Greater Good Science
Center, University of California at Berkeley found online on December 13, 2019
Baviera, T., English, W. & Guillen, M., (2016). “The ‘Logic of Gift” Inspiring Behavior in
Organizations beyond the Limits of Duty and Exchange.” Business Ethics Quarterly, Vol. 26, Iss. 2,
pp. 159-180.
Caldwell, C. and Atwijuka, S., (2019). “Self-Examination and the Ethic of Self-Interest.” Paper
accepted for publication in the Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Connor, T., (2018). “Who Lives in Life? Givers or Takers. The One Thing That Separates Them is
Their Outlook on Life.” Personal Excellence Essentials, Vol. 23, Iss.6, pp. 9-10
Munro, I. & Thanem, T., (2018). “The Ethics of Affective Leadership: Organizing Good Encounters
Without Leaders.” Business Ethics Quarterly, Vol. 28, Iss. 1, pp. 51-69
Packard, D. (2016). The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company. New York:
HarperCollins.
Smith, C. & Davidson, H. (2014). The Paradox of Generosity. New York: Oxford University Press.
Sudbrink, L., (2016) “Leveraging GRIT for Leadership Success.” Leader to Leader, Vol. 2016, Iss.
79, pp. 57-62.