#continuous-learning

#continuous-learning

Because leadership today is no longer something you get. It is something you do, repeatedly, consciously, and it is often uncomfortable. Too many people still confuse leadership with promotion. A bigger role. A larger team. A seat at the table. Yet the most consistent leadership failures I observe have little to do with competence, and everything to do with behaviour.

This is probably the most important problem that I've worked on,

Learning today doesn't usually look broken. It looks like a well-run treadmill, always on, always moving, quietly exhausting everyone. New initiatives, new tools, new priorities. New "must-have" skills. Even when learning is thoughtfully designed, there's a nagging sense that nothing sticks because nothing gets a chance to. People finish the course, grab the badge, and move on to the next thing before the last thing has had time to show up in how they work.

Continuous learning, adaptability, and strong support networks are the foundations for thriving teams, Matthew Card mentioned in his presentation about inclusive leadership at Qcon London. Trust is built through consistent, fair leadership and addressing toxic behaviour, bias, and microaggressions early. By fostering growth, psychological safety, and accountability, people-first leadership drives resilience, collaboration, and performance. Building an organisation where people can truly thrive starts with intention, Card said.

Corporate learning has spent years optimizing the wrong thing. Organizations have refined course catalogs, improved completion rates, expanded content libraries, and invested heavily in certifications. Learning platforms are more sophisticated than ever, content is more accessible than ever, and reporting is more detailed than ever. Yet despite all this progress, most organizations continue to struggle with persistent skills gaps, slow capability building, and weak knowledge retention.

With AI transforming so many jobs, EY's Joe Depa says adaptability will be the "new job security" in 2026. "The ability to adapt and change is going to be the most important component," said Depa, who oversees innovation at the Big Four consulting firm. The executive, who leads EY's AI, data, and innovation strategies, told Business Insider that training and upskilling will be the factors that differentiate talent and organizations in the workforce.

Visa group president Oliver Jenkyn told Business Insider he thinks about his schedule like a Mason jar filled with big rocks, small pebbles, and sand. In his analogy, the big rocks represent the complex problems that Visa needs to solve, such as rolling out anew global program. The pebbles are the less complicated tasks, he said, such as pricing approvals. The sand is the "small stuff," like replying to emails, Jenkyn said.

Choose your heroes very carefully and then emulate them. You will never be perfect, but you can always be better.

AI labs are racing to build data centers as large as Manhattan, each costing billions of dollars and consuming as much energy as a small city. The effort is driven by a deep belief in "scaling" - the idea that adding more computing power to existing AI training methods will eventually yield superintelligent systems capable of performing all kinds of tasks.

They're bringing that strain and pressure to work, and it's showing up as a record low in employee engagement: an abysmal 21%. The damage adds up: Gallup estimates the collective cost of employee disengagement to the global economy at an eye-watering $438 billion. [3] As L&D leaders, we've entered a whole new era of flux and uncertainty, but also opportunity. How can we help our people grow into adaptable, innovative, and resilient employees...who stick around?

Generally, when someone interviews with me, it's their last interview. And generally, prior to the interview, I have a full list of what I'm looking for. I'm trying to understand culture fit and if they're the right person for the job. It's also an opportunity for me to set expectations for them. To me, educating yourself and learning constantly is what will separate any candidate.