“Leaders are Learners” – Leadership Lesson from General Clifford Stanley, USMC(Ret.)

While attending a breakfast at a local restaurant I had the good luck to be introduced to General Clifford Stanley, USMC. What I most remember from General Stanley is this invaluable lesson – “Leaders are Learners”.

After doing research on General Stanley’s insight I learned concepts from U.S. Marines:

1. Marines have a required reading list – from private to general
2. Marines pull their top performers to serve as instructors and teachers
3. Learning capabilities are important behaviors for Marines
4. Education and training are critical components of any U.S. Marine Career

Tips for developing a recommended/required reading list:

1. Break down the reading list into disciplines required of each job i.e. technical requirements, soft skills, leadership skills, negotiating skills, etc.
2. Provide resources that your teams have easy access and easy to use
3. To augment your reading list develop low cost resources i.e. online MOOCs ie. Coursera.org, LYNDA, Udacity, edX and others
4. Develop certifications for each critical discipline required
5. Lead from the Front – encourage high performers in your organization to train and lead other employees

What can you do to encourage learning in your organization? What resources can you use now to get started?