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Philosopher Eric Hoffer wrote that “in a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future.” Too often however, as we rise in organizations, we can be lulled into a false sense of security, a belief we have seen it all, that our experience and knowledge will continue to propel us, and our organizations, ahead.
David Novak, the retired chief executive officer of Yum! Brands, is different. He didn’t go to an exalted college and, indeed, early in his career, when he was moving into leadership positions, he would excuse himself and go to the bathroom every time people he was with started talking about the top universities where they earned their business degree. To compete, he had to learn. And as he watched those around them, he found often their prestigious pedigree kept them from being open to ideas and possibilities.
He attributes his own success to an on-the-job, learn-by-doing attitude, and the discipline to stay focused on building the skill of learning. Step by step, he kept pursuing knowledge, seeking out good ideas and filling the gaps in his understanding.
“As I advanced in my career, my avid learning gave me access to people, experiences and environments that I sought out. It gave me access to better insights and greater skill building, which helped me develop better ideas. It helped me overcome natural biases, be more analytical and more creative, and get better at spotting opportunities and solving problems. It helped me take smarter action,” he says in How Leaders Learn, written with editor Lari Bishop.
Most of us don’t consciously think about the need to learn. It happens, to a greater, or lesser extent, by happenstance. But Mr. Novak argues you need to become an active learner, someone who seeks out ideas and insights, and then pairs them with action and execution. You need to learn with purpose.
He sets out three essential building blocks for:
- Learn From: You must learn from anybody and any experiences that have something new, interesting or valuable to offer.
- Learn To: You must learn to maintain an open and curious mind and positive relationships, because we learn the most from and with other people.
- Learn By: You must learn by doing the things that need doing or that will make the biggest difference.
“I’ve met so many people who were never taught to be active learners – how to do it or why it matters. It holds them back and prevents them from fulfilling their potential,” he warns.
Learn from, the first behaviour, is to take advantage of the learning available from the people, environments and experiences available to you right now. “Active learners don’t sit around hoping lessons and ideas will show up on their doorstep. They hunt for learning opportunities wherever they are and whoever they’re with so that they can make a difference now, not later,” he says. That includes learning from yourself – your upbringing. It can illuminate your strengths and weaknesses, your unique perspectives and your blind spots. Active learners, he says, are historians of their own life.
Careers can catapult us into new environments. That brings uncertainty and risk – but also, he stresses, learning. Throughout your career, in whatever environment, learn from people who know what you don’t know.
New jobs with greater responsibility will invariably require you to fill gaps in your knowledge. “Identify and acknowledge your gaps. Then, find the right experts and ask them as many questions as possible,” he advises.
Learn to – the second building block – starts with listening. You cannot learn if you cannot listen. As well, listening produces clearer thinking and better ideas and greater motivation for action. “The world is full of great ideas that are stuck in people’s heads because nobody is making time, space or effort to really listen to them. When people are brave enough to share their ideas, passion and insights, the very least you can do is listen. Better yet, you can listen well,” he writes.
And to listen, he stresses the importance of being here, now. Usually we don’t listen well because mentally we’re somewhere else and sometime else. We’re also constrained by our biases, or the desire to be right, or a tendency to focus on the negative.
When we learn by doing – the third element of learning – we’re discovering the insights that come from action. There can be joy in this learning. It can satisfy our desire to simplify and solve problems. This type of action learning can give us the greatest opportunities for growth.
“When we learn by seeking out new challenges, doing the hard things or teaching what we have learned to others, we stretch ourselves. Instead of incremental growth, we make big leaps in what we know, what we’re capable of, and our tolerance for the discomfort that comes from putting ourselves out there,” he says.
He stresses that not all challenges are worth pursuing. He turned down the presidency of Frito-Lay because he preferred remaining in restaurants. It was the best decision he ever made. “By pursuing my joy builders (which shifted over time), I was engaged, energized and interested in what I was doing. I learned more because I wanted to learn more. And all that learning boosted my opportunities,” he says.
Take the notion of active learning into 2025 … and beyond.
Cannonball
- Executive coach Dan Rockwell recommends this tweak in meetings: Ask people to give their conclusion or suggestion in their first sentence. Light-heartedly remind them when they forget. See if it makes a difference.
- New research on why men are more likely than women to be selected for high-potential programs zeroes in on displays of passion. When men express passion, evaluators infer that they’re going to be more diligent or more likely to work hard and put in effort and time toward work, because people tend to expect less diligence from men. Women are expected to be diligent, so passion only confirms expectations; however, it also can be interpreted negatively as overly emotional or even inappropriate.
- “Thank you” is a complete sentence, says entrepreneur Seth Godin. The two words can acknowledge feedback or something else shared, helping someone else be seen and heard. Most of all, he adds, it’s a chance to be kind.
Thank you for reading in 2024.
Harvey Schachter is a Kingston-based writer specializing in management issues. He, along with Sheelagh Whittaker, former CEO of both EDS Canada and Cancom, are the authors of When Harvey Didn’t Meet Sheelagh: Emails on Leadership.