Learning How We Learn Is Your Key To Restarting Stalled Growth

It was the early 2000s, and John Mackey, co-founder and former CEO of Whole Foods, was attempting to build the company’s e-commerce capacities. They had pinned their hopes on an acquisition in Boulder, Colorado, but after eight months, they realized the business was not yet viable. 

They sold off the assets, and John shifted his focus as CEO back to the core business. 

He returned to a surprise. 

Turns out, while John was focused on the e-commerce project, the senior executive who had been put in charge of the company in John’s absence staged a coup. Along with several members of the board, the interim leader wanted John out.

A meeting was scheduled in Florida with John, the board of directors, and the person who was making the case that they were ultimately best for the job – not John.

So before the meeting, John decided to tour the local Whole Foods locations, something he frequently did. When he joined me on episode 197 of the Disrupt Yourself podcast, John reflected, “I just had my heart open, wide open. I felt so much love towards the team members as I connected with them during the tours.”

John took that energy, from what he called a “spiritual experience,” to the board meeting. In the end, it worked out – the board decided to keep him and remove the other executive. But it was a wake-up call for John. It became clear that he needed to change. He had earned another chance, but now he knew he needed to grow more as a leader.

Due to my focus on growth and development, I’m often asked what people should do to develop as leaders. I suggest three things.

First – understand the growth process. When you learn how to learn, it increases your capacity to grow. 

Make it easy for yourself to choose growth with some early successes, understanding the teething pains of the S Curve’s launch point.

Success is rewarded with little releases of dopamine in our brains, the chemical messenger of delight and well-being. Failure, on the other hand, negatively impacts brain chemistry. 

To help your brain see more days as successes, try setting ridiculously small goals. Consider this example: you have eight items on your to-do list and complete five. If your goal were to check two items off your list, you would feel successful and excited by finishing five. If you didn’t set a goal or if you told yourself you wanted to complete the whole list, then you feel like you failed. 

Second – as a leader, apply this understanding to help your people realize their own growth. The S Curve of Learning model provides a common language for you to have important conversations with your team about where they are and where they perceive themselves to be.

Then, once you’ve had these discussions, you can help your teammates get smart about their growth. This is an amazing tool for talent development, recruiting, and retention. 

Third – start early. There’s nothing like the momentum of a brand new launch point on a curve you’re excited to tackle, so take advantage of it – make regular, structured time for your S Curve.

Beginning your morning with setting intentions is important in this process, because – well, how many of us have had the day slip away before we even thought to look up? When you wake up, before you check your email or social media, spend a few minutes thinking about what you want to do and why you are doing it. 

Mornings are the base camp of your day. Use those quiet moments to pick the route ahead of you.

Humans are wired for growth, but sometimes growth stalls along one of the S Curves we’re climbing. The good news is that if you, like John, realize that you need to grow – there are straightforward, proven techniques you can use to kickstart that pace of growth again. It’s just about learning how we learn. 

What’s an S Curve in your portfolio where you feel your growth has stalled?

How can you set yourself up for success by using ridiculously small goals?