Leaders are lifelong learners. How can you keep consistent with ongoing learning so that you stay on top of your game, and keep growing?
Leaders are learners. When you stop learning, you quickly start slipping. It’s just so vital. Of course, it can seem tough to consistently learn and expand your knowledge base, while operating a successful business. So, how do you work it in?
- YouTube
Everyone learns in different ways. If you do great with watching and video, embrace it. Find a good channel or two, and use it to keep learning. YouTube is so flexible too. Now you have treadmills in the gym with the ability to watch YouTube while you work out. You can use it as a way to multi-task and sit beside your kids in the evening while they watch their favorite YouTubers. Then share what each of you is learning.
- Courses
Organized courses are a great way to expand learning and expertise. You can choose from local courses that lead to professional credentials and licenses like real estate broker, CAM, appraisal, and mortgage licenses. Or you can find online courses in video, audio, and text which you can digest at your own pace. You can even take mini-courses at top colleges like Harvard. You can even find email courses that will deliver small bite-sized nuggets to your inbox to consume with your coffee in the morning.
- Books
Leaders read. Physical books are still so important. Unless you are a digital nomad it is easy to grab a handful of books and to start your own library. If you don’t have chunks of time to read a lot at one time, you can always create a habit of reading a couple of pages at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and glean new insightful nuggets each day. If physical books don’t work for you, try ebooks, and even audio books. Consume them on your travels, and while you work out.
If you love social media and have an incredibly short attention span, or are short on time, even platforms like Instagram can offer great opportunities to learn something new. In just a few minutes a day you can keep in tune with new trends, see what the competition is doing, and even learn new skills via video posts.
- Attend Events
An alternative, or great way to augment compressed daily learning habits is to immerse yourself in live events. This is the chance to get away for a day or weekend and really learn deep insights on a specific topic. A chance to get up to date on emerging trends, mix with peers, and learn from today’s experts. It can be one of the most fun ways to learn, and a catalyst for bigger change.
- Travel
There are few things which will teach you as much as traveling. The above methods are mostly about digesting content, and the information people have consciously decided to box up and market as education. Travel is a way to experience it, to see the things people are doing versus just talking about, to talk to new people, and to gain whole new perspectives on life, the world, and business. It could be another city, state, or country.
- Get Coaching
Sometimes you just really need specialized information, or personalized practical advice on a particular situation. Coaching can be one of the best ways to dial in to this. If can give you exactly what you need, from an expert in your area of need. These can be one time sessions, weekly calls, or monthly appointments that help you tackle and grow efficiently through challenges in your business.
Summary
Consistent ongoing learning is so important for everyone. There are so many options. No matter what your schedule looks like, regardless of what you want or need to learn, or what medium you learn best in, there are options. Find what works for you, and keep growing to get and stay on top.
