The Key to Everything by Matt Keller

We all want success, Keller writes. And what matters first is teachability. It's the key to everything. We find out near the end of the book that wisdom and teachability are two sides of the same coin and that wisdom is the secret weapon to success. (163)

“Because of the increasing rate of speed at which our world is moving today and the overwhelming volume of change happening on a daily basis, teachability will be the only way for you to succeed in the next half century.” (xvi-xvii)

Keller argues that without teachability, there is a pretty good chance you will never reach your potential, never see your dreams come true. From his own experience he writes, “I have observed that teachability is hands down the greatest enhancer or greatest limiter to a person's success.” (xx)

He explores what teachability is, including desire and willingness, for example. He then looks at the roadblocks, like pride, fear, and insecurity. He reveals the characteristics of teachability, such as an insatiable desire to learn and the ability to fail well. He shows how teachability is developed into a lifestyle.

To illustrate his principles, he gives himself as an example many times. He also includes other modern day examples and examples from the Bible, such as Saul and Paul.

Interestingly enough, Keller writes, “When it comes to success, everything we achieve could be gone tomorrow.” (104) That was a shout to me and I was hoping he would write about the kind of success for which we should be working. But it was not to be.

I would recommend this book to those who know what their dream is and how they would define their success. “Teachability is the only path to the life you dream of living.” (192) There is no help here in determining what kind of dream you should have or how you should define your success. If you fail understand why you are not achieving the success you desire, this book will have some insight for you.

You can watch Keller talk about his book, read a free chapter, and download resources here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Matt Keller is the founder of Next Level Church in Fort Myers, Florida, one of America's fasted growing churches. He is the founder of AdvanceLeadership.tv, a coaching organization. He lives in southwest Florida with his wife and their two boys.

Nelson Books, 224 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.