The days of being able to lead without awareness are over. If you’re a leader and take that responsibility for granted, you’re already behind your competition.
While 83% of employers state it’s crucial to develop leaders at all levels, only 14% of high-level executives have the leadership talent they need to grow their businesses, according to LinkedIn.
As a leader, you need to give people a reason to follow you. Employees want their work to mean something, and if you aren’t focusing on your own development, as well as the development of your teams, you’ll lose top talent and fall behind in their industries.
Don’t worry; there’s a lot you can do to prevent this from happening. By embracing continuous learning, you can become a leader people believe in.
Continuous learning involves regularly acquiring new skills, knowledge, and insights; it’s the actionable next step of a growth mindset.
Often referred to as lifelong learning, continuous learning emphasizes the importance of personal and professional growth over time. It is key to preventing leaders from falling behind their peers or employees.
“Leaders need to model learning, not just talk about it,” says Marcia Donziger, the founder and CEO of Culture CARES Global. “If learning is pursued in the dark without sharing, or not pursued at all, the opportunity to inspire the team is lost.”
Even if leaders are not performing certain tasks themselves, it is important to avoid the trap of ‘someone else can do it for me.’
Instead of getting siloed or stuck in patterns of ineffective behavior, leaders can gain inspiration through focused learning. It boosts confidence within all levels of an organization, increases leaders’ credibility, and helps them avoid isolation, even in executive positions.
Demonstrating your willingness to learn as a leader is half the battle. Perception matters, and you need to back it up with proof of your learning process.
“I’ve seen continuous learning make the difference between a promotion and a stagnating career,” said Nichole MacDowell, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications at TTI Success Insights. “In a previous role, I worked with a higher education department manager who couldn’t land a promotion. Even with years of experience, she needed to complete training and skills classes for the university to take her seriously. We were able to create a development plan suited to her needs. She got that promotion, and a greater awareness of what she needed to do as a leader at the same time.”
Continuous learning not only helps you stay competitive, but it also impacts others on your team. Your willingness to learn and share your knowledge goes a long way to help your entire department advance.
Demonstrate your learning by sharing with your colleagues and direct reports. Establish open lines of communication through town halls, one-on-ones, and open office hours for skip-level meetings. Becoming available to your teams builds trust and confidence in your dedication as a leader.
“Ask questions and really listen to the answers,” said Donziger. “Find out what teams are reading, listening to, and learning from. Regularly checking in during staff meetings or town halls builds a cadence of trust. People shouldn’t just hear from leaders during performance reviews. Communicate openly, share areas of interest, and follow up with workers at all levels of the organization. Surprising insights often arise from these conversations.”
One of the best ways to track progress in leadership development and continuous learning is through assessments. By focusing on developing behavior, motivations, EQ, skills, and thought processes, leaders can use quantifiable data to better understand themselves and identify areas of opportunity.
A leader’s journey with continuous learning is the first step for organizational success, but it’s not the last. Creating a culture of learning within an organization increases engagement and attracts top talent.
Here are actionable ways to create a culture of learning in your organization:
Research conducted by Deloitte indicates that organizations embracing a continuous learning approach are 46% more likely to be first to market and 92% more likely to drive innovation, highlighting the critical role of a culture of ongoing development in fostering business innovation and growth.
Embracing continuous learning is the most effective way for leaders to stay relevant in a competitive labor market. By modeling behavior, creating transparency, using the right tools, and keeping current in your industry, leaders can create trust and growth mindsets throughout their teams.
“To lead effectively, it’s vital to foster a culture of learning and growth,” said Donziger. “Getting to know your teammates and employees on a deeper level through assessments shows them you care about their strengths and talents, which will help with retention and elevate the entire team’s performance in 2025.”