Shooting stars are so cool to watch.

Church history (and world history) is full of stories about talented people who started well and had great upside only to eventually crash and burn.

“Are you the kind of leader who punishes people—overtly or subtly—for speaking up and telling you things you don’t want to hear?” Susan Tardanico

Proverbs 9:7-8: “Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.” How we respond to correction is a true reflection of our character. The more gifted you are, the more accountability you need.

So how can we avoid becoming a shooting-star leader? One way is understanding the relationship between teachability and longevity. If that relationship is evident: how do we become more teachable?

Admit we have blind spots

The problem is we can’t see our own blind spots. We need others to help us. Admitting we have blind spots is a positive step, and serves as preventive medicine for shooting-star-itis.

Invite brave people into our circle

Whether you pastor a church of 50, 500, or 5000, whether you lead a start-up or are the CEO of a large corporation—you desperately need people in your inner circle, who when they speak, you listen. Friends and work peers who care enough to tell you the truth about you

Fight to stay teachable

The longer you lead, the harder you have to fight to stay teachable. The degree of our teachability today is an accurate predictor of how much growth will occur in our character and skill-set tomorrow.