The Learning Mindset

Effective leaders must cultivate and maintain a learning mindset.

A learning mindset is characterized by a sense of ongoing learning and transformation. Those who have a learning mindset view challenging events and situations as opportunities to learn something new. They are constantly seeking new information that will challenge them and sharpen their leadership skills. There are several ways to do this: attend leadership conferences, take courses on leadership, observe leaders from a variety of contexts, interview other leaders, seek wise counsel from mentors, listen to your followers, seek feedback on strengths and weaknesses, and read.

Leaders who have a learning mindset are motivated to learn in as many situations as possible. In contrast, those who do not have this mindset are often motivated to learn in as few situations as possible.

You know that I am a reader, and I have a strong opinion about the importance of reading as a personal discipline for leaders.

I recently read a comment from a person who said that he didn't read leadership books because those books were answering questions that he was not asking. On the surface, this comment seems reasonable. Yet, if we really reflect on the comment it is very troubling for at least a couple of reasons.

First, there is the assumption that he knows all the questions that he should be asking. I am always drawn to the new questions that are raised when I read a leadership book. I like it when I have to respond, "Wow, I had never considered that" or, "That's a good question and I'm going to start asking it!" The self-referential position that I already know all of the questions that I should be asking sets me up to be blind-sided by situations that I had not anticipated.

A second issue with this person's perspective is the problem of selective exposure. This is a bias that we all fall into. It is the tendency to seek out information that reinforces what we already think and to avoid, or discount, information that contradicts what we already think.

As leaders we need to cultivate a learning mindset and allow ourselves the discomfort of being exposed to ideas that challenge our assumptions and predetermined conclusions.

We need to humbly admit that we don't have all the answers.

In fact, we may not even have all the right questions.