The Best Learning is in the Walking

It begins! My Caminho. After the decades of aspiring, and the months leading up of planning, reading, prepping, trekking, and physically and mentally walking every kilometre in advance, the real journey finally started. How did it go, you ask? Well, let me share a little about my first two days on the Camino and how this ties into one of the greatest learning models out there: the power of experiential learning.

The Baptism of Fire (or rather Fried) Feet

How does one start their first Caminho? Apparently, by walking the longest day leg of my planned journey... 28.5km, plus a few extra kilometres for some exploring and a bite to eat. By the end of day one, my feet “sore’d” their way to 45,000 steps.

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn. - Benjamin Franklin

Despite all the preparation, the trekking, the reading, and even mentoring with past pilgrims, there are some things you only learn when your feet actually hit the trail. Lesson learned? Absolutely! No matter how much I prepared, the real learning didn’t begin until I started walking.

Hitting My Stride (and Finding my Lip Balm)

Ah, day two. Rinse and repeat (with much repolish) was a much smoother 24km. Different country, time zone, weather, food, coffee, and even the direction of the sun. By now, I had found my stride, my routines, and my game plan. I learned when to time my start early enough to beat the midday heat, the different impact on the feet of 20km walking on centuries old cobblestones compared to practice walking at home, how you can be so focused on the trip hazards everywhere that you may miss a waymarker, and I discovered which pilgrim lunch wouldn’t repeat itself for kilometres afterwards. Most crucially, I found which one of my backpack’s 30 pockets held my treasured sunbum spf+ pomegranate lip balm! After day one, it wasn't only my feet that fried!

The scenery, the conversations, the people I met, and the history surrounding me made every ache and pain worth it. The journey is more than the preparation - it’s also in the walking.

The 70:20:10 Learning Model

My early Camino experience reminds me of the 70:20:10 learning model, the concept that 70% of learning happens through on-the-job experiences, 20% through social interactions and feedback, and 10% through formal education. This model was pioneered by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), and it has become a key approach in leadership development worldwide.

Research (empiral and lived experiences) backs this model, showing that hands on, real life experience are far more impactful than theoretical learning. Reading the Camino guides and studying community blogs (the 10%), and speaking and mentoring with past pilgrims (the 20%) - laid solid foundations. The greatest learning came from actually walking - putting these foundations into actual practices. Giving blood, sweat and tears (literally).

In professional development, it’s the same. We can read the books, attend the workshops, and seek mentorship, but the greatest growth, the biggest shifts in our development or that of our teams, happen when we put learning into practice.

Walk Your Own Path

Just as on the Camino, the most valuable learning in leadership comes from walking the path yourself. So, as you reflect on your development journey, ask: Are you giving enough time to experiential learning? Are you creating space for your team to walk their own professional path?

The 70:20:10 model is incredibly effective when applied to individual development plans, ensuring personal and professional growth through hands-on experiences such as - job rotations, job shadowing, training another team member, project teams, and stretch assignments, just to name a few.

Lead Like a Pilgrim!

Start your own "Caminho" by following the 70:20:10 model: Focus on that all-important 70% and give yourself and your team the space to grow by doing. And just like finding my lip balm in the right pocket, you’ll eventually find your stride.

Bom Caminho! Here’s to walking your own path to leadership greatness.

#ElevateYourLeadership #CaminoJourney #ProfessionalDevelopment #ExperientialLearning #702010Model #LeadershipGrowth