mindful people are constantly expanding and enriching these in
order to learn and lead. Langer’s wonderful phrase “premature
cognitive commitment” captures the power and danger of past
knowing.^7 Much of the knowing-doing gap can be understood by
applying the notion of premature cognitive commitment, because
it becomes the basis of “believing is seeing,” which tends to have a
negative effect on learning. We don’t believe what we see; we see
what we believe. Herein lies the knowing trap.
Intellectually engaged also means being open to new informa-
tion and ideas. This is an easy phrase to express and a difficult one
to do. Learning leaders are people with open and inquisitive minds.
Being intellectually engaged means being able to absorb and
integrate different perspectives. The value of diversity is in bring-
ing different perspectives to bear on situations. Intellectually
engaged learners are capable of synthesizing and integrating these
perspectives as a basis for future value-creating actions. The inabil-
ity to integrate different perspectives traps people into simple
knowing, and consequently, the learning process is inhibited.
Learning leaders are people who seek out and welcome diverse
thought and action and use these to inspire and innovate.
Emotional engagementmeans bringing the relevant emotions
into the learning process. Learning is not an emotionally neutral
activity. Quite the contrary, attitudes and feeling about what is
being learned are a vital dimension of being engaged. In Learning
as a Way of Being,Peter Vail notes that “learning as a way of being
is learned by the whole person (fully engaged), and that means feel-
ing the learning as well as possessing it intellectually.”^8 Feeling
learning is captured in the phrase “having a love of learning.”
Little kids have an innate love of learning, and it is important that
as adults those feelings be recaptured in order to sustain the learning-
leading process. Learning leaders reflect this love of learning in
their daily behaviors.
Spiritual engagementis about values, principles, and beliefs. Spir-
itually engaged leaders behave in ways such that their important
values, principles, and beliefs are evidenced in their day-to-day
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