Developing Top Leaders

Learning shouldn't stop

Being selected to a top level post in an organization is a sign that you have made it but for some, it’s also an excuse to stop learning and developing in an intentional way. These folks assume that they will learn whatever they still need to learn on the job, which is to a large extent true. The Center for Creative Leadership’s research holds that executives report learning 70% of what they need to know on the job, 20% from others and only 10% from formal training. Even for those who think they have learned all they need to know, the 70% of learning on the job will continue. The question is, is that enough or should they make an effort to engage in the 20% and 10%? My answer is an emphatic, “yes!” and here’s why.

Very few leaders would argue that our times require continued learning. There’s simply too much that’s new going on, in addition to all the things one could choose to learn that have always been of interest. Recent surveys of executives have indicated, for example, that the level of understanding of AI is inversely related to age and rank. Younger people are more likely to understand how to use AI and its promise in various applications. The fact that many executives are waiting to be forced to learn more about AI wouldn’t be a problem if they put young people in charge of the company’s AI strategy but of course, few organizations do that. AI is perhaps the most glaring current example of why it’s important for leaders to continue to engage in intentional learning but it’s not the only one. I’m as concerned about the often invisible impact of leaders not choosing to learn about other topics. Let’s look at just a few areas where not learning could have significant consequences: science and technology, market forces, global trade and self-awareness.

AI is just the current poster child for the impact of science and technology on organizational performance. Short of natural disasters and game-changing acquisitions, few forces compare to science and technology when it comes to shaping strategy, operations, and innovation. Robotics, bio-tech, fin-tech, nano tech, virtual reality, quantum computing, and automation are making breakthrough contributions almost every day. These contributions will change the competitive landscape, displace millions of workers, shift wealth, concentrate power and may even determine the quality of our life on the planet if you believe some. As a business person, you could wait to see what happens or you could make an effort to get ahead of the curve. The prospect of learning about all of these things is daunting, which is why it makes sense to set goals for learning as a part of the organization’ s strategy, with different members of the executive team leading probes into the future in selected areas. The goal is not just to understand what is happening out there, but to ascertain its relevance to the organization and put in place the investments needed to explore further and adapt when it makes sense to do so. In deciding where to start looking, a portfolio approach is a good idea. Pick some technologies you are certain will impact your organization in the future and then pick some that you are interested in exploring because they could be the basis for shifts in your strategy down the road. SpaceX was a big leap from Tesla, as streaming entertainment was for Apple. Learning about what you could do opens doors to the possible rather than just learning more about what you already do.

Market forces are driven first and foremost by the moves of competitors but also influenced by customer preferences, regulations, innovation, and the economy. Here again, executives can wait to see clearly how these factors have combined to affect their business or they can get out in front by learning to read the signals and fashion preemptive strikes. A number of management scholars, including Ed Lawler and Chris Worley, have written about the importance of “expanding the surface area of the organization.” By this they mean that every organizational member is a potential point of contact between the organization and outside world. For executives in particular, this means that if they are making an effort to learn what’s happening outside of the organization in their area of expertise versus focusing all their attention inward, important events and trends can be spotted and appropriate actions formulated more quickly than the competition. In contrast, organizations that depend on a few designated individuals or departments to do this are likely to be late to the game.

The impact of globalization on business has been accelerating as technologies, easing of barriers to investment and aggressive moves backed in some cases by governments have turned the globe into a gigantic chessboard. Controlling the costs of supplies has forced some globalization but so has access to billions of customers and seizing advantage of distinctive local capabilities needed to innovate new products. Historically, leaders in the U.S. have been smug in their belief that due to their superiority, they needn’t learn about the rest of the world. With the power in trade shifting toward China and India, and the EU becoming more of a unified force, the failure to develop a deeper understanding of other cultures and business models could prove costly.

Finally, becoming more aware of one’s impact on others and adjusting one’s behavior to bring out the best in them can help to inspire achievement and avoid creating the kind of fear that blocks important feedback from below. Executives are often left to fly blind because their subordinates don’t want to suffer the consequences of being the bearers of bad news or are dismissed when they try to raise concerns. While becoming more intentional in learning about one’s impact on others may seem unimportant compared to learning about new technologies, the competition, or world trade, the fact is that micro-interactions occur by the hundreds every day and each one holds the potential to make things better or make things worse. If leaders were already as good in their interactions as they should be, employee engagement scores would be much higher and undesirable turnover much less.

Intentional learning requires that executives make a personal commitment to getting smarter. It’s also helpful to have the support and guidance of others. A good coach is worth their weight in gold but even a poor one can raise questions worth considering. Mentors and industry peers can ask good questions and provide invaluable insights. Taking time to attend conferences or courses where new information is being communicated (the 10% of formal learning in CCL’s formula) is more worthwhile than you might think, both for the value they provide in their own right but also because they help you get out of your routine and meet new people.

Thinking about what is important to learn and developing a plan to go after what you need to know makes it more likely that it will happen. While it’s hard to find the time, the daily crises will still be there if you take a few hours or days to better equip yourself to deal with what’s coming. You may have reached the pinnacle, but learning shouldn’t stop.