Successful leaders know that they need to constantly grow and develop while on the job.
In today’s changing world you need to keep improving yourself and changing, if you want to boost your leadership abilities and lead your company/team effectively.
This need for constant learning and development is stressed by research done at the Center for Creative Leadership at Columbia University. They study provides 5 key traits that are present in successful leaders who are agile/continuous learners:
Perform Consistently in the Face of Adversity
High-pressure situations will happen constantly when you are in a leadership position.
Agile leaders/learners rely on past knowledge/experiences to deal with these pressure situations quickly and effectively.
Innovate Constantly
Leaders who don’t take the time to innovate will find their business becomes stagnant.
By trying new and innovative ways to challenge their employees and themselves, they develop new perspectives and capabilities.
Stay Risky
Agile leaders/learners know that if they want to grow, they can’t afford to stay comfortable.
So they find opportunities to push their boundaries and put themselves in new/unproven situations.
Don’t be Defensive
They let their guard down when people suggest new ways to approach a situation.
Applying this openness to all of their business practices is a great way of ensuring that they facilitate following the many valuable points on this list.
Reflect Frequently
Although it can be difficult to step back and look at decisions given the amount of workload leaders have to take on, it is important to take time to reflect.
By reflecting on past decisions, actions, interactions, successes and failures, agile learners gain numerous insights.