“Great leaders are great students, and the world is their classroom,” says Damon Lembi, author of the new book The Learn-It-all Leader.
“Learn-It-All leaders are constantly creating and re-creating themselves, their companies, and their leadership. They are information extractors. They pull what they learn about everything—be it product innovation or how to inspire a team—from their lived experience,” adds Lembi.
These types of leaders also model and directly encourage a culture of learning inside their organizations. This attracts higher-quality workers, improves their performance over time and holds onto them longer.
The book is divided into two parts:
Part 1: Being – explores how Learn-It-All leaders think.
Part 2: Doing – examines what Learn-It-All leaders do differently.
Damon Lembi
Some of my favorite takeaways (including some quotes) from the book include:
Quote: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Quote: “People believe what you do, not what you say.” – Damon Lembi
Acronym: Lembi advocates adopting a LEARN culture (used by his company Learnit):
L – Lifelong learning
E – Embrace change
A – Act like owners
R – Rally around the customers
N – Nurture a growth mindset
Mistakes: A leader who separates an individual from their mistake will be able to zero in on the real issue more quickly and clearly, thereby creating a valuable learning opportunity.
Advice: Ask for advice. Act on it. Share your results and say thank you.
Listening: To be a good listener, you first must hear what people are saying. Don’t start formulating a respond in your mind while you pretend to be giving your full attention. Just listen. Make whoever is talking to you feel like the most important person in the room.
Plan to read this highly personal, instructive book with entertaining anecdotes and inspirational examples. With only 152 pages, it’s a quick read that’s packed with helpful advice for leaders who truly want to excel.
Lembi is CEO of Learnit, a global leader in corporate training solutions that has upskilled more than 1.8 million professionals during the past twenty-seven years.
Thank you to the book’s publisher for sending me an advance copy of the book.
