Learning Mindset

I was asked recently what I have learned about leadership. I have been coaching executives and leaders for 15 years, prior to that I was an executive for several years. There are many important aspects to effective leadership, it is a complex job, if taken seriously. One characteristic that stands out for me is having a learning mindset. Leaders who are willing to learn, open to feedback, able to challenge themselves, prepared to self reflect and ready to increase self-awareness; make progress faster and become inwardly more confident and resilient; and therefore more effective at inspiring their people, setting vision and strategy, and galvanizing organizations into action.

Becoming a great leader, in my opinion, is a learning journey; an aspirational vision - something we never quite reach because the learning never ends. The expression "the only constant is change" has been bantered around for decades and is true today and will be true tomorrow. There is always more to learn, more change to understand, more risk to assess.

It is powerful when a strong leader says, "I don't know" and "how can we find that out" and "I'm willing to learn, can you teach me".

The process of coaching allows leaders to expand their learning mindset and develop strategies for professional development and growth.