From Lessons Learned to Lessons Learning
Meredith Wilson
Creating Capacity through Culture and Leadership | Speaker Author Mentor | #cultureshift #leadershift #creatingcapacity #explore
The shift
Leadership is not static. Leadership has always evolved, but the pace of change is relentless. The biggest shift? Moving from lessons learned - where we rely on past experiences - to lessons learning, where we stay open to what’s emerging.
As leaders, we have been trained to codify best practices, refine playbooks, and apply past solutions. Our world is moving faster than our playbooks can keep up. Our real challenge is to not just learn from experience but to stay in the process of learning.
The sticking point
Most leadership advice assumes stability, yet work is increasingly ambiguous and complex. Leaders have long been taught to focus on lessons learned - defining what worked, documenting insights, and applying them moving forward.
But the biggest trap? Past lessons aren’t always useful for future challenges. What worked yesterday won’t necessarily work tomorrow. Leaders who struggle today aren’t necessarily wrong but they are likely leading for a world that no longer exists.
The hardest shift isn’t acquiring new skills, rather it’s unlearning old ones and staying adaptable to what’s unfolding.
The science says
For decades, leadership was about applying past lessons - codifying mistakes, refining best practices, and building expertise. Research now shows that the best leaders can do more than simply recall past lessons. They remain actively in the process of learning.
A McKinsey study found that leaders who foster a culture of continuous learning create more resilient, high-performing teams.
Similarly, Harvard Business School research shows that leaders who stay curious and open to new insights drive greater innovation and adaptability.
MIT Sloan reinforces this, showing that organisations with learning embedded into daily work (not just a retrospective task) are better equipped to navigate uncertainty.
The leaders who thrive now aren’t those who rely on what they know—they’re those who commit to learning what’s next.
Everyday Actions
Leadership isn’t about knowing - it’s about noticing. Shifting from lessons learned to lessons learning takes deliberate action. Here’s how to stay in learning mode:
The Bottom Line
Leadership is a constant learning process. Not following a set path but learning, adjusting, and reshaping as you go. We can't rely on what they know - we need to commit to learning what’s next.
What’s one leadership habit you need to stop treating as a lesson learned? that you could start treating as a lesson learning?
About Meredith Wilson
Meredith Wilson helps leaders create capacity through culture and leadership. As an author, speaker, and strategist, she works with executives and leadership teams to shape cultures ready for the now and next of work.
Follow me on LinkedIn to explore more on leadership and culture.