• Experience: learning through trial and error
• Example: learning by observing
• Education: learning through training (including reading books etc)
Experience – there’s no substitute for learning by doing. Experience is often the most valuable way to learn to lead. The more chances you have to actually practice leading in real-life situations, the more likely it is that you’ll become a better leader. Learning a skill takes practice, practice, practice – Gladwell identified that it takes 10,000 hours to achieve excellence.
Whether it’s facilitating team meetings, leading a special task force or heading up a charity fundraising event, the more chances you have to serve in leadership roles the more likely it is that you’ll develop the skills to lead – and the more likely that you’ll learn the important leadership lessons that only come from the failures and successes of action.
Example – other people are essential sources of learning. We all remember the parent we looked at when wondering how to handle an unfamiliar situation, the special teacher who exhibited such joy in her vocation etc. Perhaps you have had a coach or mentor who believed in you more than you believed in yourself, or a manager who treated everyone with respect and who encouraged your leadership aspirations. Role models are critical to learning anything and they are especially important when learning how to lead.
As you think about your continuing leadership development, look around for role models, coaches and teachers in your organisation or community. Don’t be shy about asking for their help or for permission to watch them at work. Take them out for coffee and interview them on how they handle difficult situations. And even if you can’t observe them directly, well-known contemporary or past leaders are also excellent sources of learning. Pick up a couple of biographies and read about what these people did to become esteemed leaders.
Education – formal training and education can definitely improve your chances of success. On the list of ways we learn to lead, coursework can be a high-leverage opportunity. Done right, training enables you to spend concentrated period of time with an expert focused on one subject with only a few skills. This focused attention helps you to learn something more quickly and with the benefit of multiple chances to practice and get feedback in a safe environment. Your team don’t want you to experiment with new, untested behaviours on them, any more than you want to be on an airplane with a pilot who’s never been at the controls before. Training and education provide valuable opportunities for taking some “test flights”.
Leaders are learners. People who are more frequently engaged in learning activities, no matter what their learning style, perform better as leaders. The more we seek to learn, the better we’ll become at leading – or at anything for that matter. The best leaders approach each new and unfamiliar experience with a willingness to learn and an appreciation of the importance of learning.
