Your career is fueled by a learner’s mindset

How do you react when people share something with you that they have learned?

Astonishingly, I often hear ‘oh, I know that already’. It leaves me wondering: if that was true why does your career (or: life) looks like it does?

What do people mean when they use the term ‘know’? Have they heard the information before? Have they applied the principle in their life? Are they still curious what else there is to learn?

I recently had the chance to listen to the CEO of my company and I was inspired when she was speaking about the values of her leadership style – and that she especially loves the aspect of humility. Humility keeps your heart and mindset in a space of curiosity and eagerness to learn something new. Humility lays the foundation of not knowing everything but leaving room in any situation and meeting that there might be something new to you.

‘I know this already’ is the immature display of a 7-year-old who can count till 10. It is the approach to life that learning is about getting information, pile up knowledge and never be in the situation of the learner anymore.

Especially, when it comes to leadership, I see a lot of people ‘knowing’ everything already. But if you are in your 5th, 10th, 15th year of career … what makes you believe, you have seen it all?

For the next few weeks, cut out the reaction ‘I know this already’ and rather explore what the other person has learned. Ask yourself what you can take away from the discussion. Find yourself spaces where you can be a learner again. No one is born with all skills – and if you want to progress in your career, you constantly need spaces to learn.