Learning requires guidance

A case for learning-friendly structures, attitudes and habits

Dear readers,

Learning is not automatic. Although we talk about „lifelong learning“, it often remains lip service. Not out of ill will, but simply because in everyday life, there is often a lack of space, energy, or orientation. The demands of daily business are high, time is limited, and the focus is on operations. Yet precisely for this reason, continuous learning is more important than ever in a world shaped by complexity, speed and change.

Learning can´t be ordered, but it can be enabled

Learning doesn’t happen on command. It requires neither coercion nor control, but conditions that make learning possible. Good leadership ensures that learning is not left to chance. It creates freedom, provides impulses, opens up opportunities, and models what development means.

Studies show that leaders shape the learning culture of their teams through their behavior, priorities, and approach to mistakes far more than they often realize. They influence whether people dare to ask questions, try new things, or even fail. Where openness is modeled, learning can grow.

At the core of this is an attitude that is more profound than any training program: the belief that abilities can be developed. Psychologist Carol Dweck calls this a „Growth Mindset“, in contrast to a „Fixed Mindset“, which assumes that you either can or cannot do certain things. A growth mindset changes the perspective on challenges and setbacks. Those who believe development is possible become more curious, courageous, and persistent. Mistakes become learning opportunities, doubts become starting points for new paths. Leaders who internalize and embody this mindset create an environment where learning is normal, even desired. I personally share impulses, tools, or insights regularly with my team, not because I know everything, but because I want to keep learning myself. This openness shows that learning is not a sign of weakness but of professionalism. And this is exactly what is perceived and adopted in daily work.

Read more about this in the blog post „1% better every day“ by my colleague Alexander Noß.

Without clarity, framing, and commitment, even the best impulses fizzle out. Because learning is more than inspiration, it is work, repetition and perseverance. A model I find especially helpful in this context comes from Gianpiero Petriglieri. It describes three leadership roles that can be assumed depending on the situation and context in the learning process:

• The „connector“ ensures that individual development, collaboration and strategy are linked together. This role is particularly important in networked, agile contexts, i.e. wherever knowledge is shared and jointly developed.
• The „challenger“ encourages development, encourages people to find their own learning paths, even beyond their immediate area of responsibility. The focus here is not on the organization, but on individual potential.
• The „custodian“ creates a strategic foundation, defines learning objectives and provides resources. This role is essential if new skills are to be developed or strategic changes are to be shaped.

What makes this model so valuable is that it is not dogmatic but an invitation to situational leadership. Not every phase requires the same role, but every good leader should master all three.

Depth comes from repetition, not variety

Many organizations now invest in an impressive range of learning formats: learning platforms, internal academies, various trainings. This shows that learning is on the agenda and that’s a good thing. Yet all this often remains fragmented if the right culture is missing.

Because learning is not mere consumption. It requires more than just on-demand content. It needs repetition, focus and sometimes conscious slowing down. Author Josh Waitzkin puts it succinctly: „Make smaller circles“, zoom in, refine, deepen. Not more, but more targeted. Not broader, but more precise.

And this is where culture comes into play. Whether learning truly takes hold in daily life depends not on the number of offers but on how teams work together. Whether there is room for reflection. Whether mistakes are seen as learning opportunities. Whether asking questions is allowed without being seen as weakness. Or whether someone dares to say, „I don’t know (yet)“.

This culture doesn’t arise by chance or from PowerPoint slides. It grows where leadership shows attitude and where sharing insights is normal, learning impulses are not only given but supported and leaders see themselves not as knowledge transmitters but as fellow learners.

Leadership that enables learning doesn’t need a perfect concept. It needs clarity, routines, and the courage to keep moving forward alongside others.

Yours, Daniel Keller

Image source: Photo by Freepik