Learning from the Apostle Peter on Double-Loop Learning

Jesus and Peter Do you love me

Tomorrow marks week 39 of 2014, and the NIV Leadership Bible focuses the week’s devotions on the leadership skill of “double-loop learning.” This leadership theory for individuals and organizations was coined by Chris Argyris—an American business theorist, Professor Emeritus at Harvard Business School, and Thought Leader in the field of Organization Development.

Argyris used different terms for solving immediate problems (“single-loop learning”) and addressing root causes of problems (“double-loop learning”). He observes, “Many people define learning too narrowly as mere ‘problem solving,’ so they focus on identifying and correcting errors in the external environment. Solving problems is important, but if learning is to persist, managers and employees must look inward. They need to reflect critically on their own behavior, identify the ways they often inadvertently contribute to the organization’s problems, and then change how they act. In particular, they must learn how the very way they go about defining and solving problems can be a source of problems in its own right.”

Let’s see what we can learn from the example of the Apostle Peter and how Jesus helped him with “Double-Loop Learning.”

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Are You the Leader You Were Meant to Be?

Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be

LeRoy Eims was a leader with The Navigators—an international, interdenominational Christian ministry that helps people grow in Jesus Christ as they navigate through life—for over 50 years. He wrote several books, including Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be: Lessons on Leadership from the Bible. This one caught my eye, as I was browsing the bookshelves at Mardel one day, so I picked up the Kindle edition…and I’m glad I did.

Eims starts the book, noting that many of us feel insufficient for leadership roles. But he goes on to explain, “So it’s true that we must acknowledge our insufficiency, but it must not stop there. If it does, we are in trouble. We must go on to acknowledge the absolute adequacy and sufficiency of God to meet any test, to overcome any problem, and to win any victory… When we understand that God’s method of accomplishing His plan and purposes is people, we will begin to understand our role in the kingdom of God.”

Click here for Eims’ perspective of who is fit to lead; why some leaders excel; and how leaders get more done and make an impact.