Bridging the Gap Between Knowing and Doing

In this newsletter, I explore the gap between knowledge and integration and why reminders of what we already know are often more helpful than learning new concepts:

1. Knowledge without purpose, focus, intentional action, and repetition is just unapplied information.
2. The Four Stages of Learning framework can help us break down the actions required to advance knowledge from awareness to competency.

We live in a time where learning has never been more accessible.

Between articles, podcasts, books, online courses, and conferences, we’re constantly consuming information.?

But here’s an uncomfortable question—how much of that acquired knowledge translates into action and behavior change?

We tend to forget most of what we consume, and without focus, we struggle to move from knowledge to integration.?

This is not a negative attribution to our ability to learn—it’s a well-researched phenomenon that illustrates the importance of reinforcing the lessons and principles that are top priorities for integrating into our daily lives.

As always, there’s nuance—meaning we must have an intentional filter to decide our learning priorities and develop systems emphasizing practice and repetition.

We need to be reminded more often than we need to be taught.

This highlights a valuable personal and leadership development principle: knowledge alone isn’t enough.?

With the wealth of information available, it’s easy to fall into the trap of continuous learning without purpose and meaningful integration.

We must revisit, practice, and internalize what we already know to move from awareness to competence. While we may advance in one area, we regress in another.

However, we haven’t lost anything; we’ve just forgotten.

Knowledge is also iterative. Leadership principles, for instance, are meant to evolve as new situations and circumstances arise. The learning process is not linear; it’s cyclical.

The four stages of learning highlight the gap between knowing and applying.?

This framework can help us prioritize our learning goals and track our progress.

The Four Stages of Learning

Unconscious Incompetence (Unawareness)

At this stage, we don’t know what they don’t know. We are unaware that we have a gap or deficiency in a particular knowledge or skill, nor are we aware of its practicality or usefulness.?

Attempting to perform something we are not skilled in feels uncomfortable and unnatural. We uncover blindspots, which remind us why self-awareness is fundamental to leadership.

It is not something we attain or reach but something we constantly pursue.

Conscious Incompetence (Awareness of Gaps)

We become aware of the skill gap and recognize its usefulness. We understand the tangible value of acquiring knowledge because we see how it can be applied in real situations.?

There is an appreciation of the opportunity to learn, which sparks confidence to acquire knowledge.?

This is where the “reminder” becomes critical, especially as we move into conscious competence. It’s common to grasp an idea intellectually but fail to implement it without consistent reminders about the importance of practice, feedback, and iteration.?

Conscious Competence (Intentional Action)

We place intentionality around pursuing knowledge, developing competency, and reliably beginning to perform the skill at will; conscious effort is required.?

Competence improves through practice and repetition; the skill is not yet automatic. As habits and abilities form, consistent reinforcement is needed.

For many areas of leadership, attaining this level is where most of our growth will live because of how quickly things change.

Unconscious Competence (Expertise)

For a limited number of our strengths, the skill becomes so practiced and integrated with our abilities that they become second nature, or “muscle memory.”?

The competency is subconscious and can sometimes be performed in tandem with another task, but it also requires continued practice and maintenance to avoid regressing.

Even at this stage, reminders are vital to improving our existing competencies. Continuous reinforcement involves intentional check-ins to evaluate and refine our strengths. Sometimes, we return to the beginning, realizing there’s a new facet of the skill to learn.

Applying the Learning Stages

First, allow yourself to limit your consumption of new information if it is preventing you from developing your existing competencies. Challenge yourself to a set time away from “new learning” to focus on the following.

Take inventory of the skills you’ve learned, those you are actively learning, and those you seek to understand. What are the top priorities to focus on? Categorize them into the stages above, and then determine action steps you can take.?

1. Reflection and Self-Awareness (Unconscious Incompetence → Conscious Incompetence)—Start with a foundation of self-awareness. What is your purpose? What are your values? What are your strengths? What are your blind spots? What fills you up, and what drains you? Ask for feedback on your answers to these questions to help uncover what you may not see.?
2. Coaching, Mentorship, and Focused Learning (Conscious Incompetence → Conscious Competence)—Determine the support that fits your needs. Coaching and mentorship are often helpful at these early stages of skill progression to have a guide through the process. That said, there are many cases where you can be resourceful and focus learning efforts on the top priorities without external support. Always ask for feedback, though.
3. Repetition and Reinforcement (Conscious Competence → Unconscious Competence)—Developing strong habits tied to our desired competencies requires intentional reminders and consistent practice. Leadership development programs should be designed with repetition and reinforcement, such as journaling, reflection exercises, accountability partners, feedback, and progress evaluation.
4. Ongoing Development (Maintaining Unconscious Competence)—Expertise must evolve as new information is acquired. Despite the skill level, revisiting foundational concepts will help you stay sharp. One of the best ways to do this is to teach and mentor others. To effectively teach, we must relearn the nuance of concepts for ourselves, which helps maintain competency.

Most importantly, assign purpose and meaning to the knowledge you pursue and seek to integrate. Without alignment with our values and purpose, “learning” turns into unguided information consumption where knowledge isn’t applied.

Crossing the bridge from knowledge to integration requires purpose, focus, intentional action, and repetition.

Leaders often need reminders of their existing skills and competencies more often than learning new ones.

Reminding ourselves and others to practice what we already know while layering in reflection, coaching, mentorship, and feedback keeps us progressing toward competence while staying aligned with our values and purpose.

Look for opportunities to acquire new knowledge, but remember to apply what you’ve already learned.

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