When we consider the future of our careers, most of us fully realize that the only way we can ensure our continued relevance & viability is by learning & growing.

We know we have a need to get increasingly better at our existing jobs while, at the same time, preparing ourselves to do entirely new things.  And given the many challenges we already have on our plates, most of us feel oppressed & overwhelmed by these demands.

It would therefore be especially helpful if we had informed guidance on how to acquire new knowledge & skills during our normal work days – & that’s the theme of this podcast.

After 15 years of research – including as an MBA & Ph.D student at the Harvard Business School – University of North Carolina professor, Brad Staats, became an expert on learning.  And what he discovered is that most of us aren’t good learners in any environment. In his words, we’re actually “supremely” bad at learning – news that would be rather discouraging were there no remedies.

It turns out we routinely get in the way of our own growth. For starters, we hate to experience failure, & therefore intentionally avoid taking on challenges that often deliver profound new wisdom. We also have a strong inclination for answering questions rather than asking them (another blow to learning) – and our need to feel busy in every given moment takes us away from the reflection & relaxation known to cement new knowledge into our brains.

In his new book, “Never Stop Learning: Stay Relevant, Reinvent Yourself & Thrive,” Staats shows us that there are several ways we  limit our own growth & development – and understanding how to correct all of these blind spots is the key to becoming a dynamic learner.

In this podcast, Staats shares some powerful research – not to mention many wonderfully illustrative anecdotes – that will bring your understanding of learning to an entirely new level.  Stanford Business School business school professor, Bob Sutton calls “Never Stop Learning,” “the best book ever written on learning,” and you’ll understand why after you hear the rapid-fire insights Brad Staats shares.

Get ready to be a dynamic learner – you’re going to need it!

By Mark C. Crowley

Mark C. Crowley is the author of Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century which has been taught in 11 American universities. He is a global speaker, leadership consultant and thought leader on the topics of workplace culture and employee engagement.