When you think of a leader, characteristics like confidence, integrity and resilience might come to mind. However, a key characteristic that many people overlook when analyzing the behavior of a leader is the capability and willingness to learn. The readiness to learn doesn’t come easy, and at times, its harder to be open to new perspectives than to continue down the path of your own.
Why is learning such an empirical aspect of being a great leader?
To Adapt
In whichever business climate or general industry you inhabit, there are bound to be fast-paced changes. As a leader, you must be agile in how you react to the fluctuation of best practices and trends. Leaders are charged with the responsibility of growing an organization, team, business, etc; therefore, they should be fully committed to learning. One way to do this is by being constant readers. This way, you learn about developing knowledge in your industry and can relay this valuable information to your team.
To Set An Example
As a leader, it’s important to remember that you are constantly setting an example for your team – make it a good one. When you value learning, you begin to see the positive impact it has on growth and talent acquisition. By being an active, constant learner, your team members also become active in their commitment to learn and problem-solve every day.
To Become An Active Listener
Listening is a fundamental part of being a successful leader. It not only opens your mind to someone else’s perspective, but it also affects your day to day by being able to listen actively to the people surrounding you. There is a difference between hearing and listening. What are you doing more of? Are you understanding what is being told to you by listening actively? Or are you simply hearing and not retaining the information? If you are constantly learning and making yourself vulnerable to new and better information, your listening skills quickly skyrocket, becoming an asset as a leader.
If you want to become a leader who adapts, sets an example to your team, and listens actively, you are bound to gain all of these characteristics through learning consistently. Why should you stop learning with new information being unearthed every single day? Leaders who ignore the value of learning become stagnant. Go against the current and challenge yourself to become a dynamic and influential leader in your industry. Be a leader who never forgot the worth of being a student.
