SHOW LEARNING AGILITY
WHY IT MATTERS
If leaders want to stay relevant they have to be able to learn at the speed of change. With the ever-expanding world, there comes a constant flow of new problems, challenges, and opportunities. Leaders can no longer specialize in one discipline and live out their career perfecting a single skill or trade. Leaders need to be agile enough to wear many hats simultaneously. Leaders that show learning agility, by becoming whoever they need to become at any moment, stay relevant to their organizations over time because of their ability to learn anything at any time. Leaders who don’t show learning agility will be pushed aside as their outdated skillset and inability to learn new things makes them an obstacle instead of an answer.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that show learning agility don’t allow themselves to become stagnant. They don’t allow themselves to halt their education, growth, or potential. They know that no matter how much they have learned, or how much knowledge they have acquired, their work will always demand more. They refuse to feel like they have “arrived.” They never get comfortable with who they are and what they know. They learn fast, knowing success in their work requires them to keep up with the world around them.
Leaders that show learning agility work hard to grasp new concepts and ideas. They want to understand “how” and “why” things work. They are naturally curious. When they don’t understand something, they pursue it until they do. They aren’t afraid to ask questions, experiment, try new things, take risks, or dive in without fully knowing what the outcomes will be.
Leaders that show learning agility are not pampered learners. They can learn from anyone, about anything, and from anywhere. Be it a book, class, demonstration, real experience, professional paper, article, coaching, mentoring, reading, or electronic learning they can use it to gain the knowledge they need. When they have to learn something new they learn it from whatever means are most readily available.
Leaders that show learning agility avoid getting stuck in situations where they don’t know what to do or where to go for answers. They assess their own gaps frequently. They learn a broad range of skills, knowing that someday they just might prove useful. They work tirelessly to close their knowledge gaps as fast as possible.
Leaders that show learning agility are not afraid to do something they have never done. They don’t shy away from the unknown. When they are asked to step outside their area of expertise they do it with confidence. They are sure they can quickly learn whatever it is they don’t know. They are a dedicated student that are willing to make whatever sacrifice is necessary to gain the learning they need to deliver the results being required.
Leaders that show learning agility are comfortable acknowledging their inadequacies and blind spots. They have the humility to rely on their leaders, peers, and others to give them feedback. They want to know how others think they can improve. They care more about learning what is right than appearing to be right.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
If leaders want to stay relevant they have to be able to learn at the speed of change. With the ever-expanding world, there comes a constant flow of new problems, challenges, and opportunities. Leaders can no longer specialize in one discipline and live out their career perfecting a single skill or trade. Leaders need to be agile enough to wear many hats simultaneously. Leaders that show learning agility, by becoming whoever they need to become at any moment, stay relevant to their organizations over time because of their ability to learn anything at any time. Leaders who don’t show learning agility will be pushed aside as their outdated skillset and inability to learn new things makes them an obstacle instead of an answer.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that show learning agility don’t allow themselves to become stagnant. They don’t allow themselves to halt their education, growth, or potential. They know that no matter how much they have learned, or how much knowledge they have acquired, their work will always demand more. They refuse to feel like they have “arrived.” They never get comfortable with who they are and what they know. They learn fast, knowing success in their work requires them to keep up with the world around them.
Leaders that show learning agility work hard to grasp new concepts and ideas. They want to understand “how” and “why” things work. They are naturally curious. When they don’t understand something, they pursue it until they do. They aren’t afraid to ask questions, experiment, try new things, take risks, or dive in without fully knowing what the outcomes will be.
Leaders that show learning agility are not pampered learners. They can learn from anyone, about anything, and from anywhere. Be it a book, class, demonstration, real experience, professional paper, article, coaching, mentoring, reading, or electronic learning they can use it to gain the knowledge they need. When they have to learn something new they learn it from whatever means are most readily available.
Leaders that show learning agility avoid getting stuck in situations where they don’t know what to do or where to go for answers. They assess their own gaps frequently. They learn a broad range of skills, knowing that someday they just might prove useful. They work tirelessly to close their knowledge gaps as fast as possible.
Leaders that show learning agility are not afraid to do something they have never done. They don’t shy away from the unknown. When they are asked to step outside their area of expertise they do it with confidence. They are sure they can quickly learn whatever it is they don’t know. They are a dedicated student that are willing to make whatever sacrifice is necessary to gain the learning they need to deliver the results being required.
Leaders that show learning agility are comfortable acknowledging their inadequacies and blind spots. They have the humility to rely on their leaders, peers, and others to give them feedback. They want to know how others think they can improve. They care more about learning what is right than appearing to be right.
BELIEFS
- It isn’t your ability to know everything that matters, it is your ability to learn what you don’t already know.
- With the speed at which today’s world regenerates itself, a leader who can’t learn may be a liability instead of an asset.
- A leader can never know all there is to know, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try.
- People that fail to renew their skills and abilities will see their role and influence slowly dwindle and decline.
- The moment a leader thinks they know enough is the moment they start to fall behind the times.
- A leader can never give up on the need to learn, no matter how successful or expert they already are.
- Those who rise to the top are those who seize every moment as a learning moment and a chance to grow.
- Learning something new, no matter what it is, makes work fun. It is the chance to learn and grow that brings work to life.
BEST PRACTICES
- Never feel like you have learned enough.
- Make time for your own learning.
- Don’t be comfortable with your level of skill.
- Don’t need outside motivation to improve.
- Set vigorous goals for your personal learning.
- Be comfortable knowing you have to get better.
- Constantly try to increase your skills.
- Do not feel like you are a finished product.
- Proactively create your own learning.
- Don’t be intimidated by learning new things.
- Trust your ability to learn.
- Be willing to learn from any situation.
- Be a champion of continuous learning.
- Don’t be satisfied with your current skills.
- Be naturally curious about everything.
- Try to understand how things work.
- Always ask people what they do and why.
- Believe there is always more to learn.
- Relish the challenge of learning something new.
- See yourself as a work in progress.
- Spend more time learning than relaxing.
- Get excited when you don’t know something.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I see learning as a key to staying relevant, or do I think that who I am now will always be good enough?
- Do I prepare myself to wear any hat I need to at any time, or do I allow myself to become one-dimensional?
- Do I constantly assess what I can still learn, or do I feel like I know all there is to know?
- Do I want to know all that there is to know, or do I feel content knowing only what is required to do my job?
- Do I put forward the time and energy to learn new things, or do I want to spend time doing other things?
- Do I accept new responsibilities even if they are unfamiliar, or do I only want to do what I know I can do?
- Do I feel confident I can learn something new, or do I get anxious when I realize there is something I don’t know?
- Do I ask for feedback on my knowledge gaps, or do I worry so much about appearing unlearned that I don’t ask?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t learn so little about so much that your knowledge is actually dangerous because it never dives below the surface.
- Don’t spend time learning things that really have no relevance to helping you do better in your work.
- Don’t become labeled as a “know it all” because you constantly share what you know and try to look smart.
- There is so much in the world that I don’t know.
- I take time to improve myself professionally.
- I hate not knowing the answer to a question.
- I love being in the role of the student.
- I learn something new each day.
- Taking time to learn new things is time well spent.