How to learn beyond the obvious
Ready to move beyond conventional ways of learning and find new opportunities for growth? Try these three ideas.
Now more than ever, I’m convinced that active learning is the foundation of every strong leader’s success.
I believe this so strongly, in fact, that it’s the topic of my latest book.
How Leaders Learn will teach you how to become an active learner, and it comes out a week from today!
In fact, I’ve got some extra goodies for you if you pre-order it between now and then. Keep reading for details on that.
But first, let me say this.
After interviewing nearly 200 of the world’s top leaders, athletes, and CEOs on my podcast–– plus decades of my own experience— I can tell you:
Great leaders make learning a priority.
That might seem obvious, but here’s what a lot of people miss.
Learning doesn’t always look the way you think it does. And it doesn’t always come from the sources you expect it to.
Learning happens anywhere and everywhere, and it’s embedded into every other skill and habit.
If you’re only learning in those areas where you expect to, you’re missing out on some incredible opportunities for growth.
So today, I want to share three not-so-obvious ways you can tap into the #1 habit of the world’s most successful leaders and become the kind of leader who is always learning.
1. Learn from critics, not just mentors
I hope you’ve had plenty of people in your career who have supported you and cheered you on. I know I have, and I’m so grateful for them.
You learn a lot from those mentors and cheerleaders.
But you can learn even more from your critics.
My favorite example of this comes from Marvin Ellison, the CEO of Lowe’s. Early in his career, he was passed over for a promotion at Target, all because one influential executive felt Marvin wasn’t ready for the next level of leadership.
How did Marvin respond to this setback? Well, he did what most people wouldn’t dare to do. He picked up the phone, called that one influential executive, and asked if he would mentor him.
For Marvin, it was a learning opportunity he wasn’t willing to miss. As he told me, “I was interested to understand what lens he was looking at me through. What did he see that others did not see? And what could I learn from it?”
What Marvin learned from that critic helped him improve how he engaged with people. And when the next job opportunity came around, his former “critic” was his biggest supporter in the process.
Had Marvin stayed defensive or resentful after not getting that job, he would have missed the opportunity to learn something valuable—a lesson only a critic could teach him.
When you face detractors and criticism, consider what you can learn from it. Some of it may just be nonsense from haters. But chances are, there are some incredible insights and wisdom you can take from them, too.
Hear Marvin Ellison tell the full story (plus lots more) on his episode of How Leaders Lead >>
2. Learn from success, not just failure
Practically every leader who comes on my podcast shares a fantastic story about how a mistake or a failure helped them learn a key leadership lesson.
(You can actually hear a lot of those lessons for yourself! The How Leaders Lead app has a whole category of insights about the topic of failure.)
That’s because failure is one of our best teachers. I can say that confidently, having made more than my fair share of mistakes over the years!
And in most cases, you naturally learn from those failures. After a weak product launch or a tough quarter, you can’t help but ask why and understand what happened so you can discover what to do better next time.
But as Jack Nicklaus pointed out to me when he came on my podcast, it’s just as important to learn from your wins.
“I think you have to learn why you lose,” he told me. “You have to learn why you win. You have to learn how to do both.
“Everybody makes mistakes as they're growing up and trying to learn to grow a business, and you should learn from those mistakes. But you also when you do something well, you learn from that too.”
Sometimes, when things go right, we celebrate and enjoy the success, but we don’t always go back and understand why things went so well.
So yes, enjoy those wins and celebrate them with your team. But don’t let your enjoyment keep you from the all-important review process, so you can build on that victory with learnings that drive even more success.
3. Learn from silence, not just input
When we talk about learning, most of us assume that means we need some kind of input to learn from—books, podcasts, seminars, etc.
People are a great source of learning, too, but those relationships still require us to put ourselves out there and engage.
Because of that, a lot of us overlook what we can learn by simply being still.
Sometimes the insights you need are already in your own head. You just haven’t created the space you need to turn them into more fully formed ideas and plans.
Juliet Funt pointed this out when she joined me on How Leaders Lead. Her book, A Minute to Think, shows you how to cultivate small moments of unplanned time throughout your day in order to process, reflect, and be still.
We tend to prioritize busyness. As Juliet points out, “if you try to think in a regular office, somebody is going to come up to you and say, ‘What are you doing? What are you doing? What are you doing?!’”
You don’t always need to be busy, finding new sources of input. Carve out that time to think, and let stillness and silence be your teacher, too.
They’re not always obvious, but there are opportunities to learn and grow all around us.
Our detractors can teach us just as much as our supporters. You can analyze and learn from successes as much as failures. And learning doesn’t always have to look like seeking out more input, but rather finding time for silence and reflection.
When you embrace the habit of active learning, you’re more likely to spot these opportunities and soak up those lessons instead of overlooking them.
If you want to learn ALL the habits of active learning, I encourage you to pick up a copy of my book, How Leaders Learn.
Pre-order your copy now before it comes out on June 4th, and I’ll send you:
- A “sneak peek” excerpt with seven actionable things you can apply right away while you wait for your copy
- A free video series where I teach you the fundamentals of how leaders learn
- An exclusive behind-the-scenes interview where I get really personal about WHY this book is critical for today’s leaders
Pre-order How Leaders Learn today and get ALL these extras instantly when you forward your receipt to book@howleaderslead.com.
Now, I’d love to hear from you! What are some of the “non-obvious” sources of growth and learning you’ve found over the years?
Drop me a note in the comments below. I can’t wait to get your feedback!