I’ve enjoyed reading Dave Kraft’s blog Leadership from the Heart for several years, as well as his three previous books. The latest book from the 84-year-old author, with fifty-five years of vocational Christian leadership experience, is Finish Line Leadership: Setting the Pace in Following Jesus. Recently, I read the chapter in the book on lifelong learning. I was amazed at just how much Kraft and I agree on this important subject.
Kraft tells us first that leaders are learners, and that when you stop learning, you stop leading. In the organization I worked at my entire career, we often spoke of lifelong learning, or that “school was never out at State Farm”. There was a significant emphasis on, and support of, continuing education, be it insurance designations, master degrees, IT industry certifications, etc. No matter what area of the organization you were in, you were encouraged to improve yourself and your value to the organization through continuing education.