I have had some wonderful opportunities to teach in recent weeks. I have been a guest lecturer for three weeks in a senior Bible class to high school students in a Christian school; I have facilitated a 5-week on-site college course in management to adult students in an undergraduate program; I have dialogued with a dozen doctoral students online as they have worked through an 11-week practicum on leadership; and I have lead a group of Christian school teachers through a six hour workshop on Inductive Bible Study at a regional convention. The various settings that education takes these days is nothing short of incredible.
The change in venues, the difference in student interest and maturity, the contrast of engagement levels, and the depth of content were a great challenge to me. The similarities of the experiences were interesting as well.... every group desired input and relationship.... every group of learners has a need for affirmation and encouragement... all of the students regardless of age, intellectual depth, educational background, or gender desired to succeed. In a society where the basic needs of life are met on a consistent basis, the power of intrinsic motivation is powerful indeed.
One of the keys to effective teaching is the same key to effective leadership and that is the ability to communicate the need for knowledge. If the student realizes the importance of the information being taught, he/she will be so enthusiastic to learn. The converse is true as well. If a student does not see the relevance of the material being covered in class, then all the antennae go down, the attention folds up, and the blank stares begin to form on the faces of the bodies in the desks. This is true of the workplace as well. If the employees sense the need and the urgency to understand the mission and program of the company, then they will become highly effective workers. The cornerstone of this kind of intrinsic motivation is the concept of urgency.
A great teaching technique is called the anticipatory set. The anticipatory set is the setting of the context before the critical information is shared. It often comes in the form of a story or illustration that takes real life situations and demonstrates the importance of knowing the information to be shared. My pastor is an expert in the use of the anticipatory set. He begins his teaching with a current event, or a story from his past, or a funny illustration that pulls you into his world. By the time he is done with his opening statement, I am on the edge of my seat waiting for him to tell me how it all relates to my life.
So with leadership.... our mission, our vision, our message must communicate the urgency of our purpose for existing. The passion of our organization should constantly be on the tip of tongues. There should be an excitement about what we do. If we expect others to follow after the mission of the institution, we must be demonstrating the urgency of our product/service. Inspiration is a necessary ingredient for motivation. Who wants to go to work for mundane organization that has little to no impact on life when you can be involved in an exciting ministry that will change the face of society? Who desires to sign up for a opportunity to peal potatoes when they can take an amazing race in becoming a world changer?
Urgency is a key factor. Intrinsic motivation kicks into high gear when we believe that we are about great work. If we are mixing cement all day long, we can become very tired, bored and discourages. But if we are part of a team of masons building a hospital that will save lives and produce a cure for cancer, then we are about a great work that must be done and it must be done now!
The sense of doing something significant is so important to me. I think that is why I enjoy teaching..... and leadership. Both of these activities have the potential to change lives. Both of these activities can build, edify, develop, and mold the mind, hearts and souls of others. To see passion move from one heart to another is an awesome experience...to observe the contagious aspect of communication when people begin to share a vision for the future, or an enthusiasm for a cause, or kindred mindset for a philosophy is a life-changing event. Teachers get to see it often in their classrooms as the light bulbs of reality begin to illuminate the students' thinking. Effective leaders get to see it as well, when others begin to share the excitement of the work, the mission of the organization and the big-picture goals of impact and influence.
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