#15: When Is the Last Time You Learned Something New? 

In today’s episode, we look at the importance of continual learning as a means of facilitating growth as a leader.  Specifically, think about the following question: When is the last time you learned something new?  

There are many benefits to continuously learning and improving your leadership skills, including the ability to:

  1. Inspire and motivate your team: As a leader, it is important to be able to communicate your vision and goals effectively to your team. By continuously learning and improving your leadership skills, you can become a more effective communicator and better able to inspire and motivate your team to achieve success.
  2. Foster a positive work culture: A positive work culture can increase employee satisfaction and retention, and a strong leader plays a crucial role in fostering this culture. By continuously learning and growing as a leader, you can create a positive and supportive environment for your team.
  3. Make better decisions: Good leaders are able to make informed and effective decisions. By continuously learning and growing as a leader, you can develop your problem-solving skills and become more adept at making difficult decisions.
  4. Adapt to change: The business world is constantly changing, and effective leaders are able to adapt and lead their teams through these changes. By continuously learning and growing as a leader, you can become more flexible and better able to navigate change.
  5. Enhance your credibility: Continuously learning and growing as a leader demonstrates to your team and colleagues that you are dedicated to improving and becoming the best leader you can be. This can enhance your credibility and increase respect for your leadership.

Likewise, when you understand your Enneagram profile, you can be even more intentional about the growth opportunities you seek out.  

Overall, growing as a leader is crucial for both personal and professional success. It allows you to become a more effective and respected leader, and helps you to inspire and motivate your team to achieve success.

Episode 15 Transcript

Learning also helps you stay innovative and creative because when you are willing to expose yourself to new ideas and perspectives, It’s going to spark new ways of thinking and problem solving. You don’t get stuck in the, well, this is just the way that we’ve always done it mentality because that type of thinking does not work in the current work world.

And this is really important for leaders because you are responsible for leading. Projects and programs and creating innovation and finding creative solutions to the challenges that you face in your organization. Likewise, when you’re committed to learning new things, it helps you build credibility and respect because it’s not a do, as I say, not as I do type environment you’re modeling, but it looks like to be a continual learner.

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Well, Hey there, friend, and welcome to episode 15 of the leading by type podcast. At the time of this recording, it is actually new year’s day. So I’d like to wish everyone a happy 20, 23. And I look forward to growing with you throughout this next year. On today’s episode, we’re going to take a look at why as a leader characteristics, like self-awareness.

Flexibility, the ability to adopt a change and a growth mindset are critical. If you are looking for ways to specifically grow in your leadership skills. It’s not been that long ago since we all went through the COVID pandemic. And we know that that has led to an increase in remote work. And that alone in and of itself has brought about challenges for leaders.

Not only are we managing in-person teams, but sometimes we’re managing virtual teams or hybrid teams. And this requires a different skillset and [00:02:00] strategies than leading a team versus a traditional office setting. This type of an environment has increased in need for adaptability. Things are changing quickly and the world is accelerating. And as leaders, we have to be able to respond to these new challenges and opportunities, and that requires our ability to think creatively and strategically, as well as our willingness to learn and grow.

Likewise, the nature of work is changing. There’s an emphasis more on collaboration. Innovation and creativity. And we are looking at a new generation entering the workforce. Who’s very focused on making sure that the work that they do matters and has a purpose to it. So as leaders, we need to be able to inspire and motivate our teams to Excel in all of these areas.

And so the question becomes, how does a leader do more than just hang on and survive in this environment, but not just survive, but thrive and create an environment where you’re encouraging other [00:03:00] people on your team to do the same thing. John Maxwell in his book, leader shift refers to this ability to continually adapt as a leader shift.

It’s an ability and a willingness to make a leadership change. That’s going to positively enhance your organizational and your personal growth. Research shows that the top three leadership qualities that are going to be important in the years ahead are the ability to motivate your staff. The ability to work well across cultures. And the ability to facilitate change. In order to do this, you have to ask yourself how open are you to change?

Are you willing to start asking more questions instead of giving answers to the people who work with you and for you? And are you willing to become as a leader, a better listener, a better observer a better coach. In Leadershift in order to accomplish these things, to be open, to change and to have an attitude of curiosity and to be a better observer and coach.

There are four questions that you can ask [00:04:00] yourself. The first one is when is the last time that you learned something for the first time? When is the last time you felt like a newbie at doing something? The second question is when is the last time that you did something for the first time? Third. When is the last time that you’ve found something better for the first time, a better way of doing something, a better way of thinking about something, a better system, a better process.

And then number four is when is the last time that you saw something bigger for the first time, so that you saw a bigger vision? A bigger purpose, a bigger reason for why you’re doing something. Well, for the purposes of this episode, we’re going to focus just on the first question. When is the last time that you learn something for the first time?

I believe that focusing on the first question of when is the last time that you learned something for the first time is really the most important because it lends itself to all of the other questions being answered and happening learning new things is going to keep your mind sharp and engaged studies have shown that when you engage in [00:05:00] new learning experiences, it can help stimulate brain activity and improve overall cognitive function.

 This is especially important as we age and I’ll just call. Call myself out here. I’m almost 52. The more we can engage and increase our cognitive function. The more it’s going to help us stay sharp and mentally agile. And as a leader, this is something that you have to be committed to throughout your career, regardless of what that looks like.

Learning also helps you stay innovative and creative because when you are willing to expose yourself to new ideas and perspectives, It’s going to spark new ways of thinking and problem solving. You don’t get stuck in the, well, this is just the way that we’ve always done it mentality because that type of thinking does not work in the current work world.

And this is really important for leaders because you are responsible for leading. Projects and programs and creating innovation and finding creative solutions to the challenges that you face in your organization. Likewise, when you’re committed to [00:06:00] learning new things, it helps you build credibility and respect because it’s not a do, as I say, not as I do type environment you’re modeling, but it looks like to be a continual learner.

it’s important for you as leaders to be seen as experts in your field. But even the most experienced experts, you’ve got to continue learning in order to stay current and relevant. Things are changing so quickly that we have to be able to stay on top of the current trends. It doesn’t mean that you have to know how to do all of the things, but a commitment to learning is going to help you build credibility because it’s showing a willingness to learn about new ways of doing things and embracing them because of the value that they can bring to your team.

Now there’s three things that you can do to show your commitment to personal growth and learning and answering that question. When is the last time that you learned something new? The first step is to develop your self awareness. As a leader, you need to have a deep understanding of your own strengths, weaknesses, [00:07:00] values, beliefs, and blind spots.

Knowing and understanding your Enneagram type is one of the most powerful things that you can do to develop this level of self-awareness.

When you have a deep level of self-awareness, it helps you make better decisions. It helps you communicate more effectively and it helps you relate to others in a more authentic way, because you can understand that your point of view, isn’t always the right way. Or the only way to see the world. And one way that you can grow through your own personal self-awareness is through self-reflection.

Which takes time to think about what are the experiences that have shaped you? The behaviors that you have that are positive, the behaviors that you have that are negative. The emotions that you feel when you’re triggered . Understanding all of these things is going to deepen your self awareness.

You can also seek feedback from people that you work with, your mentors, coaches, family members. As a way to gain a different perspective on your individual leadership style. The second thing that you can do to focus on. When is [00:08:00] the last time that you learned something new is building relationships because effective leaders understand that building strong relationships.

With your team members, colleagues and stakeholders is a key to success. I mean, it’s taking the time to get to know people, to learn something new about the people that you work with, listening actively to their needs and concerns and being open and transparent in your communication with them. Because the willingness to learn something new about the people that you work with and letting them learn about you is going to build trust and foster a positive work culture. It’s also going to support that collaborative and supportive environment that you’re looking to create. And the third thing that you can do to grow as a leader is to focus on your own continuous learning. It is. Vital that you stay current on industry trends and best practices as well as continuously learn and develop new skills.

This can include going to workshops and seminars and conferences, but it also looks like seeking out mentors and coaches and engaging in your own ongoing professional [00:09:00] development. It can also mean finding a hobby, something that’s just going to challenge your brain to think differently and see things differently and experience something differently for the first time.

Now what this looks like for each one of the Enneagram types can be a little different. I’m going to give you a run through of what it can look like for each one of the different Enneagram types to focus on learning something new. So for our type ones, our type ones are motivated by a desire for fairness, integrity, and improvement. You are natural leaders and you like to approach your leadership with a strong sense of responsibility.

And you’re really good at focusing on systems and processes and efficiencies. And effectiveness. In terms of growth, you would benefit from learning to be more flexible and open to new ideas and understanding that sometimes we need to go outside of processes in order to achieve our goals.

Likewise you would benefit from an ability to delegate. And trust others to get their jobs done. Type twos. You are motivated by your desire to be of [00:10:00] service to others. And to create harmony, you are very empathetic and supportive leaders, but you might struggle with setting boundaries and taking care of your own needs.

So a growth challenge for you would be to learn how to set limits and prioritize your own wellbeing. Type threes. You are motivated by a desire for success and recognition. You are driven ambitious leaders who Excel at setting goals and achieving them. But sometimes you can be too focused on the results and not pay enough attention to the needs and feelings of other people on the team.

So you would benefit from learning to be more aware of and attuned to the needs of your team, as well as from developing your ability to be more flexible and adoptable. Type fours. You are motivated by your desire for self-expression and authenticity. You are creative and innovative leaders, but you can struggle with feelings of inadequacy and sometimes fall into this trap of comparing yourself to other people.

So for a growth strategy, you would benefit from learning to [00:11:00] be more self-accepting and developing your ability to really manage your emotions. Type fives. You are fed by this motivation and a desire for knowledge. And understanding you bring an analytical nature and you are strategic leaders. But you can struggle with overthinking when it comes to making decisions.

So for a growth opportunity, you could benefit from learning to trust your instincts. And develop your ability to take action and make decisions in the process of trusting those instincts. Type sixes. You are motivated by your desire for security and stability. We know you are reliable and responsible leaders, but sometimes anxiety and a tendency to doubt yourself can creep in.

So for a growth opportunity, consider learning to be more self-assured and trust that your own judgment is correct. Type sevens. You are motivated by excitement and novelty. You’re energetic. You [00:12:00] bring a spontaneity to your leadership. But you can also be overwhelmed and struggle with sticking to tasks and responsibilities.

So for a growth opportunity, you might benefit from learning to be more disciplined and to manage your time effectively. Type eights. You are motivated by your desire for control and power. We know that you are strong and assertive leaders, but you might struggle with a tendency to be overly aggressive and have difficulty in showing vulnerability.

In order to grow and your leadership, you should be more open and sensitive to the needs of others, as well as learn how to develop. Your ability to collaborate and build relationships. Type nines. We know that you are motivated by inner peace and harmony. You are literally called the peacemakers and your main goal is to maintain harmony in your environment.

Be that at work or at home and in relationships. You are very empathetic and sensitive to the needs and feelings of others, but you often put the needs of other people before yourself. So in [00:13:00] order to focus on growth, you would benefit from learning to voice your opinions as well as clearly expressing your own needs and boundaries.

Now when we’re not willing to do these things, when we’re not willing to look at the areas that we have the most potential for growth. We’re limiting our effectiveness. We are going to decrease our ability to adapt to change. And we’re also limiting opportunities for future advancement. Because if you’re not making an effort to improve your leadership skills and stay current in , industry trends.

And best practices, you might struggle to lead and manage your team. And that will result in a lack of progress and the lack of productivity. it might lead to frustration and disengagement among your team members.

Likewise. If you are not making an effort to grow and develop, you might struggle to respond to change effectively. Which can be detrimental to your team and your organization. Again, you can’t get stuck in the, well, this is the way that we’ve always done it, type of thinking, because that’s going to keep your team from being able to, innovate and.

[00:14:00] Solve problems creatively. in many organizations, leadership development is a key factor in determining whether or not there are future promotions and career developments and advancement. And this not only applies for you, but it applies for the people that you’re leading or the people that you’re coaching on your team.

Because if you’re not making an effort to grow as a leader, you’re going to miss out on opportunities. And likewise, if you’re not encouraging the people on your team to do the same. You are keeping them from being open to the opportunities that could be presented to them as well. Now, when we do do this, when we do lean into this.

Desire to grow and create this self-awareness and the ability to adapt to change. We’re going to improve our effectiveness because you are going to become a more effective leader and manager. With greater self-awareness, which is going to lead to better results and outcomes for your team. Likewise, it’s important to be able to adapt to new situations and challenges because it’s going to help your team navigate change more effectively as well.

If you, as a leader are comfortable. And [00:15:00] managing and working through change. Then you’re going to create an environment where when something comes up on your team, People aren’t going to be scared. They’re going to trust and know that you’re going to be able to lead them through it effectively. Your focus on your personal growth and your development and your self-awareness increases your credibility.

And your reputation. Likewise, when you, as a person who is in a leadership position are focused on your own development and your own growth, your behavior, and your attitude has a massive impact on the work culture and on your team and your organization. By focusing on your own growth as a leader and modeling positive behaviors, you’re going to help, , create more positive and supportive work culture for everyone on the team.

So, what I’d like to leave you with today is to, I want you to think back to the question. When is the last time that you learned something for the first time? And how can you intentionally focus on this area this week? Maybe it’s [00:16:00] something related to self-awareness. Maybe it’s to begin learning about your Enneagram type.

Maybe there’s a course that you’ve been wanting to take and you have been hesitating for some reason. Is there something that you can sign up for today that will put you on that path to learning something new? When is the last time that you looked at a new system or a new process or a new way of doing something?

All of these things will help you answer that question. When is the last time that you learned something for the first time? If you are interested in learning about your Enneagram type. You can join our leading by type Facebook group, where I share information about the Enneagram there. And I’m actually going to start doing some live trainings in that group. Or you can email [email protected]. And we can set you up with taking an IEQ nine Enneagram assessment, which.

Is in my opinion, the best assessment that you can take. As a first step to start figuring out what your Enneagram profile [00:17:00] might be.

Regardless of what it is that you choose focusing on one new thing is going to help you start on that pathway to becoming a lifelong learner and answering that question of when is the last time that you tried something new? I personally, one of my favorite quotes is he who stops getting better, stops being good. And that’s by all of our Chrome. Well,

I really try to live by that motto and be on a path of continuous improvement. So ask yourself, what is it that you can do today so that you can, can continue. Getting better so that you can continue being good at what you do as a leader and as a coach for the people on your team and in your life

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