New technologies, working-from-home prerogatives, and ever-evolving business needs have dominated the workforce for the past few years, right alongside a stronger focus on employee experience and purpose-driven work.
As with any changes that occur in life, there are many advantages to continuing your education or “lifelong learning” in order to stay ahead of the curve, particularly when you are aiming to take on leadership roles. Lifelong learning can help current and emerging leaders ensure continuous growth and improvement, support adaptability to unprecedented shifts in business models, and ultimately advance their careers. In this article, we cover what lifelong learning means, the benefits, and how it can open doors to leadership opportunities.
What is lifelong learning?
At its broadest, lifelong learning is the continuous, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge or skills that extends beyond traditional education settings. Lifelong learning can be used to improve many aspects of one’s life, including personal, civic, social, and employment opportunities. It can be accessed via formal training, such as studying for a degree, non-formal training in the form of workshops, or informally through self-study or experience.
Lifelong learning emphasizes adapting to new information and technologies throughout one’s life. This is particularly important in workplace settings, where careers no longer follow a clear straight line, and instead, roles shift, change, and move sideways. Staying in a single industry your entire career is no longer the norm, adding further complexity and change.
Incorporating lifelong learning into your career journey can help set you up for leadership roles. But by taking a strategic approach and identifying areas where you need improvement, or by focusing on skills that are in demand, you can fast-track your career into a leadership position.
Lifelong learning can open doors to leadership roles. Photo by Sarah Pflug from Burst.
The link between lifelong learning and leadership
There are several reasons why lifelong learning and leadership are intrinsically linked.
The technological pace
It’s not called the technological age for nothing. Technological innovation and development are advancing at an incredible speed, meaning business strategies and models that may have worked for many years are no longer relevant. Leaders who can commit to ongoing learning can adapt to this shift more easily, as well as guide others along this path.
Professional learning culture
Professional development through ongoing learning opens the doors to many opportunities, and it has never been more relevant in the workplace. The fast-paced world demands ongoing upskilling to remain current, and companies will prioritize those who care about their own professional development and fast-track them to leadership positions. Strong learning cultures not only improve employee engagement, but they also help keep organizations agile and resilient. A report by Deloitte revealed businesses with a robust learning culture were 92% more likely to develop innovative products and processes, which underscores the importance of it at a company-level.
Diversification of job roles
Many jobs these days require leaders who can manage a multitude of demands. This includes managing team members who work from home or who have hybrid arrangements, managing multi-location meetings, navigating global relationships, or addressing modern-day concerns like sustainability. Lifelong learning can help acquire knowledge on how to navigate these new and emerging demands by equipping them with the skills needed to manage these stakeholders and come up with solutions. A recent report has predicted that by 2030, up to 375 million workers worldwide may also need to switch occupational categories due to automation and artificial intelligence. Don’t be one of those people, and stay on top and in touch with industry requirements.
Decision-making
Given the technological advancements and diversification of roles, leadership decision-making must be based on the latest research and best practices. Well-informed decisions can be the difference between success and failure, so it is important that ongoing education in this arena is taken on by leaders to ensure decisions are made utilsing all available research and knowledge.
How to start your lifelong learning journey
To start your learning journey, there are a few things you can do.
- Cultivate the right mindset: Be curious, ask questions, and embrace a growth mindset. Challenges should be viewed as opportunities, not chances to fail, and understand how your learning has the potential to benefit yourself and others.
- Define your goals: Know what you want to learn and set goals to achieve it. Keeping a list of topics or skills you want to explore can help you stay on track.
- Keep it consistent: Schedule dedicated time to learn regularly to ensure consistency, and try to utilise your new skills or knowledge in your projects or daily life to improve retention.
- Use a multitude of techniques: Combine various learning methods to keep things interesting. This might include listening to a podcast, reading a book, or completing a course or workshop.
- Tailor learning to your industry: Where appropriate, you may like to tailor of learning journey to your career industry. For example, for nurses looking to climb the leadership ladder, an MSN to DNP online program can provide the advanced skills and credentials needed to take on executive-level roles without putting your career on hold.
- Seek feedback: As you climb the professional ladder, it is important to reflect on your progress and adapt your approach if needed. Seek guidance and feedback from your manager or a mentor if you have one. If you have direct reports, having conversations with them can also be collaborative and insightful.
- Reflect: Keep a learning journal to accurately reflect on your progress, and be proud of what you have achieved – it is important to celebrate the wins.
The importance of lifelong learning in the fast-paced world we live in cannot be denied. For those who want to become leaders in the workplace, embracing continuous growth and adaptability is a must. By engaging with resources to help with lifelong learning, emerging leaders can stay ahead of the industry and drive meaningful change for the companies they work for, the people who work for them, and for themselves.
