What are some ways to develop leaders and promote continuous learning?

Leaders are continuous learners. They invest in themselves and create a learning and developing environment for their people. Whatever they do, wherever they are, whatever resources they have, leaders always try to put them to best use and learn from their experiences, other people's experiences, the environment and from other smart people who know more than them. Everyday reading and learning become a part of their daily routine. One important job of a leader is to help his/her people grow and become successful. This is possible when everyone in the team is on the same page and same wavelength. Remember, everyone in the world has something to contribute. So, as a leader keep an open and a growth mindset and focus on continuous learning.

Leadership is journey and not a destination. Since leadership is a set of skills that are applied in different ways and times, it requires each leader take ownership of their own development. A great way to do this is to improve a leaders self-awarness about where they currently are in their journey. Leadership skill and style assessments are a great way to get each leader on the proverbial scale. These are best done with anonymous 360 degree feedback. However, be careful and ensure there is coach that can go through their results and dashboard with them so they don't spin a story in their head that isn't true.

One area where coaching may be useful is for a newly hired or recently appointed leader to learn how to navigate in the new culture and better understand the organizational ability to accept and absorb change. In our coaching approach we provide an inside view to the coachees on their impact to others and perhaps uncover blind spots that could curtail their ability to execute and gain trust.

To help leaders learn and get better, companies can teach them important skills, connect them with experienced mentors, and get feedback on what they're doing well and where they can improve. Companies can also support leaders in taking courses and going to events. Leaders can learn by working in different parts of the company and sharing experiences. Companies should celebrate and recognize leaders who are always trying to learn and improve. This way, leaders keep growing and making the company even better.

The headings of the article presume a relatively linear path of identifying needs and potential and then doing things to develop the leader. I think that can all be useful if done well (it often isn’t) but I think there is also value today in a more emergent, collaborative and creative approach, where, for example, a leadership group might be supported by a facilitator who works alongside them in some of their day to day work to help them notice their assumptions, ways of thinking, behaviour and cultural patterns and to work to develop these collectively, rather than as an individualist pursuit.

Custom learning paths are seen as a large investment by companies typically - and not always approved as a justified expense. So in order to scale, streamline the customizations it’s not always the variety of programs that brings engagement but the quality of the program.

Encourage them to regularly add something “uncomfortable” to their learning choices. Some examples: Improv classes, silent retreats, art classes, dance lessons, a new language. Every person has at least one thing they could never see themselves attempting. Then, pay attention to what was learned, what was revealed about themselves and what can they apply to their leadership mindset

Leaders need to do three things: 1) See a particular future that is better than the current moment. 2) Design a strategy to achieve that future. 3) Communicate with team members so that they can also see the future, and so that they understand the plan to achieve it and their own role in that plan. Bearing this in mind, you're going to want to design tailored learning paths that build all or some of these skills, based on what you know about your leaders' current skillset.

Conduct assessments to develop cohorts with shared learning needs and skill strengths. Design learning paths for the cohorts, bringing in learning with built in application (think: workshops), tangible outputs, mentorship, and coaching. The more you can measure progress and show results the better, to keep your leaders engaged in the learning process. Ensure the learning content is relevant to work, not generic and off the shelf. The extra work it takes to customize is worth it for the learning engagement and improved results.

I've found a learning culture is vital if leaders are to continuously develop skills needed to drive our company forward. This is how I do it: Lead by Example: I try to demonstrate my own pursuit of knowledge and skills, inspiring others to do the same. Prioritise Resources: I encourage access to courses, workshops, and knowledge-sharing platforms. Encourage Curiosity: I promote a culture where questions are welcomed, mistakes are seen as opportunities, and innovation is celebrated. Feedback and Reflection: I regularly assess progress, share insights, and reflect on lessons learned. Mentorship and Coaching: I build mentorship relationships that pass knowledge down the leadership hierarchy. I've found these ideas really help.

I recently attended an event hosted by an org known for its strong learning culture. The CEO is a researcher at MIT, the CFO is pursuing certifications, the Talent director is actively exchanging knowledge through communities. I met someone at a Book Club, who is leading a Healthcare research unit in Colorado, he draws his insights from a book, Human & Organization Potential – about building workplace safety, minus shortcuts. When the CXOs prioritize learning and demonstrate their commitment through their actions, it sends out a strong message. Don’t let the jazzy Townhall talks on building a learning culture fool you unless the leaders lead by example. Remember how we copied our older siblings to learn as kids? #Rolemodellingisunderrated

Regularly asking three straightforward questions can foster a culture of continuous learning: 1) What went well? 2) What could have gone better? 3) What can we do differently next time to be more effective? While these questions seem simple, the key is in their consistent application. Embedding this reflective practice into daily operations encourages regular analysis, evaluation, learning, and adaptation. Reflecting on both successes and areas for improvement, then determining insights that can be carried forward for future actions, can help both teams and organizations create a culture of ongoing learning. Important to note-how we respond to mistakes and failures can make or break our ability to create a learning culture.

A learning culture cannot happen in an environment that is low on trust or psychological safety. An organization that is highly risk adverse will also struggle. Failure is inherent in a learning culture, and that requires that people feel comfortable to take those risk and fail.

A learning culture requires the following key components: the right leaders with a vision they can articulate and that resonates with employees. These leaders must also model the desired actions and outcomes; the right employees who have the motivation and capacity to embrace life-long learning; the right behaviors, whereby people are encouraged to embrace growth mentality, take calculated risks and share their key points of learning and growth; and the right resources, so that employees have adequate time, budget and tools (online, hybrid and in-person) to grow and develop.

Evaluating and improving learning outcomes is the compass guiding your leadership development journey. ?? Regularly measure progress against predefined goals and gather feedback from participants. Embrace data analytics and feedback loops to fine-tune your programs. Remember, learning is an ongoing journey; adapt and iterate for sustained success. ??

An exercise I like to do in developing and reviewing Learning Outcomes is to ask, “After this learning experience, a learner will be able to (fill in the blank).” Then, ask if this is measurable. Is it binary? Is there a spectrum? Is it quantifiable? Is it qualitative? Dig in and design reviews via post-mortems, performance assessments, surveys, or manager insights to gather these measurements. After the training and assessment, ask if the desired outcome led to a substantive change in the product/process/etc. Is that change measurable? Is all of this as hoped? Is it suboptimal but not worth the effort to change? Is it suboptimal and needs to be reworked?

Dedicated learning & development time!!! 75% of teams that we work with indicate that they do not have scheduled time every month in which as a team they can learn and grow together. This is a missed opportunity. If you are serious about continuous learning start by making sure that it reflects that in the calendars of the team.

I always start with clear expectations from the boss of the role and its potential outcomes. Often these are missed or are not clear or agreed.

Link learning outcomes to business goals/ Results e.g. - Average of customer handling time - Average repair time - Repeated business business - Number of customers handled. - Percentage of renewed contracts. - Customer Satisfaction Index - Repeated repairs rate. - Reducing lead time - etc

Role models matter. When senior leaders undertake a leadership development program themselves, they highlight the importance of leadership, their self-awareness and acknowledgement that they can improve, and their commitment to continue learning. Their actions help convince others that they should also continue to develop their leadership.

Learning is often either seen as a privilege reserved for the elite or a punishment forced upon an underperformed or someone out of step with culture, values or compliance. It is important to cultivate a culture of learning and learning as a lifestyle providing opportunities for all to learn. As a part of that leaders and general employees need to see themselves as both teachers and learners and neither being one or the other. Lower level employees can manage up and serve as reverse mentors for leaders and be leaders themselves. Leaders can constantly expand their skills and awareness levels through listening and engaging.

An additional thought is learning with fun & connections. In our gatherings every other Friday, coined as "Coffee Connect," we create a platform to share learnings and insights, enriching our collective leadership journey. Presenter enjoy sharing their knowledge, there is sense of recognition and joy of connecting.

The best advice I ever got was to start reading more. Old boss shared with me if I read 10 pages a day five days a week I would read between 10-12 books a year. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and the knowledge and information I have acquired has been incredibly useful.

Top leaders in the best led organizations realize leadership development isn’t only for those with formal leadership positions or titles. These high impact leaders know leadership development is for everyone at every level in an every department. High impact leaders know what I know: Character development equals leadership development. High impact leaders also know something else I know: Personal growth is the foundation for leadership development. These high impact leaders not only develop those on the org chart, but they also develop the entire workforce and all support personnel, including those in sales. The result: All of those throughout the organization with the greatest leadership potential can be more easily identified.