107. Do you choose Learning?

Learning is easy.

It can be slow.

It’s also easy to stop if you choose to.

In a complex world you win when you control outcomes rather than they control you

As a smart leader you control outcomes by giving your team control, not by controlling the team. You do that by choice not by accident. You choose Learning.

You choose Knowledge over Fear.

Knowledge gives you more choices. Fear takes away choices.

Building knowledge is slow. Fear is immediate.

Unfortunately learning can just be a slogan. Like sustainability or diversity it can become something you have to talk about if you want to be seen as “good”. Whether you believe in it or not.

Talk and action aren’t the same thing.

Immediate can win over slow.

For some, HR or dedicated L&D departments are tasked to provide learning strategy & delivery. Their expertise is valuable, but not if it’s separated from operational management.

Not if their “slow” programs are constantly undermined by leaders’ focus on immediate results.

Learning in your team is your responsibility.

Knowledge, or it’s opponent Fear, are choices not accidents. Whether your team is learning is not determined by your training budget but by the culture in the team. Set by you as leader.

You choose.

When you choose knowledge the team knows, because you give them control.

A learning team talks about results. They talk about successes, not just celebrate & move on. They talk about mistakes to understand what can be learned. Not how they can hide them.

A learning team does this with or without the leader. They’re open to new ideas and stretch boundaries at work because that’s how their leaders behave.

Not just in meetings, always.

At a pace set by the leader. By you.

By whether you act that way outside work and in your own work.

“..Learning in your team is your responsibility…”

If your team isn’t learning it’s your problem to solve. It could be you’re not making the right choices.

Fear of different opinions is a choice. Fear of leaving your lane is a choice. Leaders who choose fear limit how smart their teams become.

Do you want your team to be better at what they do?

Do you want them to be better than you?

What part of your weekly meetings or routines are used as opportunities to learn?

How much learning do team members do on their own, or in their own groups?

Is Learning your job, or someone else’s?

How often do you seek to shape formal training provided for your team, or do you leave it to others?

How often do you directly instruct details for your team to follow?

How do you react to mistakes? How do you react to innovative solutions?

How often does your team talk openly about their own mistakes?

Do you choose learning?

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“I might be wrong, but at least I’ve thought about it…”