The one thing next level communicators never stop doing.
The one thing next level communicators never stop doing.
In his book, Teaching to Change Lives, legendary communicator Howard Hendricks says, “If you stop growing today, you stop teaching tomorrow”. It’s what he calls, “The Law of the Teacher”. Great communicators never lose their sense of curiosity. They are always asking questions, and one of the primary people they question is themselves, asking things like, “How can I grow? Where can I improve?” Next level communicators see themselves as students, who understand you never arrive, there’s always another peak to ascend.
Andy Stanley and I once had a conversation where we swapped stories of our next level communicating dads. Charles Stanley was one of the greatest communicators of his generation, and towards the end of his life he asked his son, Andy, if he knew of any mentors who could pour into his (Charles’) life? What a question for an eighty-something year old man to ask, and do you see what was behind his curiosity? Even in his eighties, he wanted to grow. Charles Stanley saw himself as a perpetual student, knowing there was always room for growth.
The worst thing that could ever happen to a great communicator is to realize they are a great communicator. This opens the door for stagnation. When we believe the compliments, when we rest on the applause and praise, that’s the moment where we begin to cheat the game.
People would always rather drink from a running stream, than from a stagnant pool.
Here are some specific areas next level communicators commit to grow:
Growing in content. Remember, great communicators, the Greeks said, have great logos, or content. For just about all of us, the field we work in is constantly evolving. If you are in tech, you know how fast paced this field is. In my own lifetime we’ve gone from floppy disks to artificial intelligence. What this means is to be effective in communication in the tech world, you better commit to growth in your understanding of the latest developments. The same applies to education methods, advances in medicine, and so on. If you are a preacher, while the Scriptures and Jesus are the, “same yesterday, today and forever,” it is also impossible to master. So we too must be committed to a lifelong process of growth and development.
Growing in character. The Greeks also said great communicators have ethos, which is the idea of character. Few things will cut short our drive to be great communicators than bad character. Want to have speaking invitations rescinded or never given- get loose with character. Give yourself to the personal development of your inner life. For me, as a follower of Jesus, that means daily time spent in prayer and bible reading for myself, and not sermon preparation. Inviting close friends to ask hard questions related to your integrity is also a good practice. We never want to be mere professionals where what we say is disconnected from the life we live.
Growing in intellect. The best communicators I know keep a book in their hands. They are always reading, or digesting content, in some form. Every year I want to read at least fifty books on a wide range of topics. Some are related to my occupation, while many other books are for personal enjoyment. We all share a responsibility to steward the minds God has given us well.
Growing as communicators. It doesn’t matter what level you are as a communicator, all of us should solicit feedback from respected communicators who will be blunt with us about areas we could improve. We should also invite the everyday listener for feedback. One of the best sources for this is our spouse or close friends- people who love us but are not so enamored with us they won’t tell us the truth. Encourage them to be honest, and listen without being defensive. Take notes when they share their thoughts, showing them how much you value their input, and be humble enough to incorporate at least some of their wisdom. Think of it this way: If the world’s wealthiest people have financial advisors, then all communicators, even the best of them, should have people giving them feedback.
I just turned in my manuscript for my latest book, Godly Sinners: Pursuing holiness without falling into legalism. Stay tuned for more updates about when and how you can get the book.
