5 ways leaders can keep learning without appearing uninformed

There’s little that hasn’t changed about the world of business in the past four years. Leaders are now trying to figure out how to apply AI to just about every part of their company and manage hybrid workforces while trying to maintain strong connections. This kind of rapid change adds pressure to leaders at all levels to learn new skills, tools, and ways of working just to keep up, let alone get ahead. 

Yet, being comfortable as the student gets harder the higher you rise in an organization. So how do you expand your knowledge without appearing uninformed or vulnerable?  

“Innovation is all about solving problems in new and facile ways that unlock hidden value,” says Nick Donofrio, retired executive vice president of innovation and technology at IBM and author of If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes, an autobiographical book on leadership. “You have to know what is changing, why it’s changing, and become the bold enabler of that change in your business.”

The stakes could not be higher for businesses and leaders alike. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2023 report, businesses expect 44% of employees’ core skills to change by 2027 as technology moves more quickly than companies can respond. A leader’s ability to learn is so essential that it can often be the deal-breaker in getting hired or promoted.

Here are a few ways leaders can keep learning while avoiding potential pitfalls:  

Create a safe space for learning

“The fundamental problem with learning as an adult, especially more seasoned adults, is you don’t want to be seen as learning to crawl and walk in front of other people,” says Shefali Salwan, cofounder of business advisory firm CEO.works (which is a client of my marketing firm). By organizing smaller groups of peers, leaders will be more comfortable asking questions and appearing vulnerable, she says. 

By creating a culture of learning, leaders can embrace the pursuit of knowledge for themselves and teams. This was true when I worked at Netflix, where cofounder and then-CEO Reed Hastings often talked about needing a learning mindset no matter where you sat in the organization. That’s one way Netflix has managed to stay ahead of would-be competitors. Part of that approach can be experimentation, such as A/B testing ideas and approaches to measure results. It also could come from creating opportunities to learn from outside experts. When I led marketing and communications at Xerox, our monthly staff meetings and stand-alone Lunch & Learns regularly featured outside speakers on a range of topics such as social media, writing, and generating big ideas.  

Enroll in executive leadership programs

Business schools such as Harvard, Wharton, and others have long offered executive leadership programs that give leaders an opportunity to set aside time to learn among peers at different companies. Today, there also are a growing number of shorter-term certification programs focused on areas such as AI, ESG, and more offered by universities and other organizations. For example, Kellogg, MIT, and even The New School are offering certifications that take two months or less. 

Take online courses

For those seeking more bite-size learning, MasterClass offers modules such as business strategy and leadership offered by Disney CEO Bob Iger (13 videos over 2 hours, 10 minutes) and creativity and leadership taught by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour (12 videos over 2 hours, 36 minutes). An annual subscription costs $10 a month. 

 LinkedIn Learning also offers tens of thousands of courses on everything from executive presence to generative AI. You can even make a game out of learning new skills. “As you advance to new levels, leaders can see their growth and progress in a tangible way,” says Salwan. Plus, this type of e-learning can be mobile-friendly, allowing people to use downtime traveling or otherwise to advance their online education via phone or other device.

Consider co-mentorship

The idea of co-mentoring (or “reciprocal mentorship” or “reverse mentoring” as it’s sometimes called) involves pairing people, usually at different levels, so each can learn from the other. It’s a trend that has begun over the past decade  because it breaks down the hierarchy and creates connections that likely wouldn’t exist otherwise. Co-mentorship allows both parties to be both teacher and student, thereby diminishing potential vulnerability. 

Hire outside experts

Especially given the speed at which a technology like AI can dramatically change the way every function and business works, leaders can learn a lot by hiring outside experts. Not only do outside consultants often speed the adoption of new technology, they can also deepen your understanding of what’s possible with the latest tools. “The days of technical expert leaders are going away,” says Diane Holman, who led learning and development at Raytheon, Capgemini, and other companies before becoming chief people officer at Personify Health. “You don’t need one person to be everything to everyone. And when teams see leaders modeling these learning behaviors, they’re more willing to do the same.”

Overall, the biggest hurdle for leaders isn’t the actual learning, says Donofrio, but knowing you need help. “When you pretend you know everything and start fooling yourself that way, that’s usually the end of you as a leader.”