distribution, in their organizations. The critical factor in their suc-
cess is how they personally learn and share their learning. Some of
the keys to their success are the following:
- Their personal thirst for learning. They see every activity,
event, and business challenge as an opportunity to learn. Their
egos don’t get in the way. They are not afraid to let people know
that they need and want to learn. - They integrate learning into the agenda of every business
meeting, board meeting, and strategy or planning session. They do
this through techniques such as after-action reviews. - They role-model learning in every conceivable way; for
instance, they receive 360-degree feedback on their leadership
effectiveness, they tell stories that include mistakes they’ve made
and what they learned from them, they have coaches and mentors,
they go out of their way to expose themselves to people who think
totally differently, they attend their organizations’ executive devel-
opment programs as students and teachers, and they coach others
frequently. - They personally champion and drive executive and leader-
ship development efforts, and they ensure that their organizations’
learning and development resources are above average and
sustained in good economic times and bad. - They fully integrate their people development and strategy
development processes. - They have a well-thought-out plan for the growth of their
organizations’ intellectual capital and the development of
their organizations’ collective IQ and wisdom.
Our survey clearly showed that this important leadership task
can be achieved and that there is no magic to it beyond the per-
sonal beliefs and commitment of the CEO.
James F. Boltis chairman of Executive Development Associates
(EDA). EDA develops high-impact, custom-designed, in-company
executive development strategies, systems, and programs that helpLEARNING AT THETOP 173