Leadership Lessons with Dr. Saviak: Leaders Are Learners and So Are Successful Employees

Leaders Are Learners and So Are Successful Employees

There are employees who love to learn. They want to grow. They have the right attitude. Unless it is impossible for them to acquire the needed skills or expertise even with the right attitude and effort, they should make good members of your team. Recruit them, hire them, teach them, and promote them. They will become your leaders.  You only want learners as leaders.

You will also meet those who absolutely refuse to learn. They will defeat any attempt at training, coaching, and mentoring. They know everything so they feel they need to learn nothing. They will teach others that learning is bad.

The employee who cannot be taught cannot be hired. The employee who cannot be coached cannot be led. Don’t ever promote this person. If you cannot learn, you cannot lead. There is no known solution to this problem other than don’t hire this person and make them your problem.

Success in the 21st century is about innovation, retooling, upskilling, knowledge acquisition and retention, and continuous improvement.  Information is power in a knowledge economy.  It decides which companies thrive and expand and which companies fail.

No one knows everything. Learning is required. Growth is essential. Change is constant. Identify, recruit, equip, and promote those who want to learn.

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From the Teacher: Leadership Lessons with Dr. Saviak is a weekly column with the esteemed Joseph C. Saviak, Ph.D., J.D., M.A., M.S., Management Consulting & Leadership Training

Featured Image: McKinsey.com