Why a Culture of Learning Should Be a Priority at Your Organization
In Yuval Noah Harari’s book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, he writes “In order to keep up with the world of 2050, you will need not merely to invent new ideas and products but above all to reinvent yourself again and again.”
In today’s fast-moving world, change is the only constant. The key to survival? Build a culture committed to learning.
Without a doubt, continuous learning is your organization’s biggest strategic imperative. Whether you’re helping a new manager feel confident about giving feedback or you’re trying to upskill a team for a tech rollout, investing in learning sends a clear signal: we’re here to grow.
Here’s why a culture of learning should be a priority at your organization.
Learning makes you more nimble
A learning culture helps people handle change with less anxiety and more “okay, let’s figure this out.” Much like an individual that does yoga, a team that embraces change like this is bendier, faster, and overall much smarter than others.
In a previous life, I once worked with a product team that ran “I messed up” sessions after launches. They consisted of quick chats about what the team tried, what flopped, and what they’d do differently, and there was no shame or finger-pointing involved.
These sessions led to fewer repeated mistakes, way more creative problem-solving, and a team that wasn’t afraid to try something weird (or, more importantly, something genius!).
Continuous learning keeps people around (because growth is magnetic)
Today, the average tenure for workers aged 25 to 34 is only 2.8 years. Why? Because most individuals feel like they’ve peaked in their roles by year two and want something more.
Growth, however, is magnetic. It makes people feel alive and hopeful about what’s next. And when a workplace says, “Hey, we want to invest in you,” people tend to lean in and listen.
I once worked with a team that started hosting monthly lunch and learn sessions. These sessions are great at uncovering hidden talent, but more importantly, they created a sense of forward momentum that brought people together.
The bottom line is this: If you want people to stay, give them learning pathways, not perks (okay, perks help, but you see our point!). Let your team see what’s possible, and let them become what’s possible.
Start small. Stay consistent. Make it yours.
You don’t need a six-figure L&D budget to spark a learning culture. Seriously. Some of the best ideas cost exactly zero dollars.
One thing that can help develop a learning culture is to implement a “learning wins” segment in your team meetings. Another small thing you can do is start a Slack thread for cool articles and weirdly useful YouTube tutorials. Or, ask managers to host a ten-minute “how I do it” demo.
As you implement these, just remember: if leaders learn out loud, their teams will, too. Curiosity is contagious, so catch it early and spread it often.
Make learning the norm, not the exception
Here’s the deal: the most resilient, creative, future-ready teams are asking questions, testing ideas, and geeking out about what they’ve learned, every single day.
A culture of learning helps your team drive change, rather than simply survive it. So, plant the necessary seeds, water those seeds often, and just step back and watch what happens. (Spoiler: it’s pretty great.)
If you’re ready to take the next step in your leadership journey, or want to explore the applications of emotional intelligence in management further, take a look at our 1:1 coaching offerings.