You Are Never Too Old Or Experienced To Learn

In the three decades that I have been involved with developing, training, and teaching others how to be effective leaders, one of the most upsetting attitudes that I have often confronted is the attitude by many individuals in higher echelon leadership positions that they no longer needed training because they knew all they needed to know. Their explanation was generally that they got to this level because of their experience. What these individuals fail to realize and consider, however, is that experience and expertise are quite often not the same.

Since I have for years urged organizations to develop leadership training for their various levels of leadership, I feel quite strongly that an organization must first locate and begin to develop future leaders. I refer to that as Phase 1 or Tier One training. The next level of training is for new leaders on a lower level of leadership. Often, that is on a local level of a national organization, or on a committee level. The next level of needed training is the Rising Stars level, and usually consists of Board level individuals. Finally, there is the Upper Echelon training for those at the highest levels of leadership.

Why do I feel upper Echelon training is so important? After all, haven't these people worked their way up, gained certain experience, and received other training? However. while sometimes they have, many have not, because most organizations lack professional level training program, nor perform training often enough or consistently enough. In addition, the leadership challenges of upper level leaders differ in both details, as well as degree of responsibility, from lower level experiences.

In addition, since most organizations fail to adequately to qualify and identify leaders, the mere fact that an individual has had certain experiences is believed to demonstrate a certain skill level. Unfortunately, experience and expertise are often quite different, and while many have experience, very few have true expertise. There is generally a big difference between doing something before, and doing it well.

Few lower level leaders, for example, have any hands-on experience with much of the negotiation process, or its necessities. Most have not developed the skills necessary to properly conduct a meeting and to even create an adequate agenda. Most have never learned how to consistently identify the difference between advice and good and worthwhile advice.

The best leaders are those that are the most effective. Effectiveness is based on a number of things, and requires a diversified and varied skill set. Anyone who believes that he cannot continue to learn, or does not need to learn any more, can never be a true leader, because true leaders understand that every organization needs to evolve for its time, and every leader must evolve his thinking to adapt to new things he might learn.

We all can, and must learn on an ongoing basis. We should set a goal of learning something new, or doing something in a different way, on an ongoing basis. When a leader adapts, and continues to learn, he has more in his skill set, and thus has the ability to demonstrate broader, more effective and consistent judgment.