Lesson 3.4 | The Experienced Learner™
TRANSCRIPT
The second superpower is being an Experienced Learner. If all we do is focus on our existing experience and expertise, what happens when they are no longer sufficient to address the challenges and opportunities we face? They may even be irrelevant or dangerous. Conversely, if we disregard experience and expertise, we may throw out the baby with the bathwater, losing value and even increasing costs. We need to leverage relevant experience and expertise, learn, and get better at learning. If you remember earlier, I spoke about the Alvin Toffler quote where he spoke about the “illiterate of the 21st Century will be those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
What are the key behaviors and traits of Experienced Learners?
1. They leverage experience and expertise, but at the same time, they readily challenge it to ensure its relevance and effectiveness. More so, they are open to others doing the same without fear of retribution.
2. They recognize the need for leaders, even top leaders, to learn and improve their learning process. What does this mean? It means being curious, asking questions, fostering debate, embracing the diversity of thinking by encouraging and listening to diverse perspectives and views, and integrating that with what we know to make better decisions today and prepare for tomorrow.
3. They create a culture of continuous learning, fostering those same traits throughout the organization in word and action. Creating a psychologically safe environment provides a place where people can bring out their best without fear. They can ask questions, be curious, and not feel like they are putting themselves at risk.
When we are Experienced Learners, we can embrace uncertainty instead of running away from it. Why? We know we can learn together and figure it out.