You can’t lead where you won’t go and you can’t teach what you don’t know. This was something my father used to say all of the time. I can’t find its source. I’d like to believe that my Dad was the first to say it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he heard it from someone first. Any suggestions on sources would be most appreciated.
That being said, I think this philosophy can take a person a long way. There’s a lot of truth in this basic tenet. How can you ask someone to do something you haven’t done yourself? How can you tell something you aren’t aware of?
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Great post Jeb…this is saying that stuck with me from the Brooks Group.
Thanks, Haynes. It is a saying with staying power. Maybe it’s because it rhymes. Or because it’s true.
Probably the rhyme.
“You can’t teach what you don’t know, and you can’t lead where you won’t go.” It’s a quote from Jesse Jackson. It’s used in many seminars, classes, and courses to describe effective leaders.
Reid, thanks for the info. It’s definitely a useful phrase.
I was using this quote in one of my college classes, relating it to effective leadership. The pastor at my church uses this quote at every service and I find it to be very soothing hearing it from him and his wife. They truly practice what they preach. By the way… love the blog and your “Who is this Guy?” section.
Thanks so much for visiting, Judy! I’m glad to hear this quote gets so much well-deserved attention. It’s a great one.