Always Growing

“A learning organization is where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together.” ~ Peter Senge , The Fifth Discipline

If your people aren’t learning, your organization isn’t either - and that leads to complacency and stagnation. Sending people to a workshop or a conference once or twice a year isn’t the answer - at least not without intentionality and not on its own. What we need is a real culture of learning and growth and that is something you build — intentionally — from the inside out. It’s not just about skill development; it’s about mindset, curiosity, and the everyday behaviors including how it’s modeled (and prioritized) from the top.

Here are some key concepts for creating a culture of learning.

1. Learning Starts at the Top - With You

   Kline and Saunders in Ten Steps to a Learning Organization, state that “In a learning organization, leaders need to be willing to take the risk to model continuous learning and improvement themselves.” Leaders model and set the tone and if you're not learning, your team won't be either. One of my favorite authors and academics, Rosabeth Moss Kanter suggests that “Leaders are more powerful role models when they learn than when they teach.” Sarah Dugan of Teach, Learn, Thrive states that “Learning leaders lead better” and that we all should “normalize continuous growth at every level of leadership.”
   

2. Make Curiosity the Culture

   According to Amit Jadhav in a 2024 LinkedIn piece, “Curiosity drives adaptability…. When leaders ask questions and encourage their teams to do the same, they open the door to creative problem-solving.” You can't force people to learn. But you can build an environment that rewards curiosity. In her book Multipliers, Liz Wiseman suggests that the best leaders amplify the intelligence of everyone around them by creating space for others to think, explore and challenge. John Coleman of the HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose believes that “Great organizations and great leaders are constantly changing And cultivating the kind of culture that can adapt to those changes and create both outperformance and employee flourishing requires a deep commitment to curiosity.”
   

3. Normalize and Model Reflection

   In the fast pace of our work and our world it can be surprisingly difficult to pause and reflect. And yet learning isn’t just about addressing each new thing — it’s about processing what’s already happened. According to an HBR Insights article, “Reflective leadership involves self-awareness, introspection, and continuous learning and growth to make better decisions, enhance leadership skills, and improve team performance.” The article goes on to quote Harvard Business School Professor Nien-he Hsieh, “Reflective leadership requires the continuous practice of reflection over time… Reflective leadership is about helping others on your team or in your organization. It’s about helping them develop their own skills in awareness, judgment, and action.” In Ten Steps to a Learning Organization, Peter Kline and Bernard Saunders argue that teams need time to pause and think — not just keep executing.
   

4. Psychological Safety is the Foundation

   Without trust, people won’t take risks. And without risks, there's no learning. As Amy Edmondson, Harvard professor and author of The Fearless Organization, puts it:

   “Psychological safety is not about being nice. It’s about giving people permission to speak up, offer ideas, and ask questions without fear of punishment.” So if you want your team to grow, you have to make it safe to not have all the answers - and that may mean practicing vulnerability and authenticity.
   

5. Growth Is Personal and Collective

   In a learning organization, people are growing and teams and the organization are growing.There will be shared/universal plans for key learning - and individuals will also have unique growth plans and opportunities. Learning is ‘who we are’ - it’s in our DNA. Learning organizations don’t just grow smarter — they grow stronger. And it’s not about perfection. It’s about progress.

   “We are not here to be perfect. We are here to be real. To learn. To grow.”

   ~ Brené Brown, Dare to Lead

If leadership is about anything, it’s about creating conditions where people can become the best version of themselves.

So here’s the question for you …

Are your people just working for you — or are they growing with you?

Create space. Encourage curiosity. Reflect often.

And remember: The organizations that keep learning are the ones that keep growing and keep leading.