Can we learn - or lead - on automatic pilot?

Sometimes people admit to me that they survive in work by relying on a well-honed set of mental, emotional and physical routines – essentially an autopilot – yet they know that those same habits limit their prospects of reaching their next level. To paraphrase, someone recently said to me “But if I really listen to people, it gets too complicated and we become paralysed. It’s easier to push on, at least then I feel like I’m making progress.” Sometimes there’s no right answer in navigating the tensions of work, but what I observe is that people at all levels in companies do better when they come out of autopilot at key moments to really learn.

So here’s a question. Do you see one of your core responsibilities being to learn, not just about your business horizon, but also about you? In my experience, those who inspire loyalty and discretionary effort embody a courage and hunger to learn, seeking practical and personal angles to understand what makes them tick and how they can bring more of themselves to their work. It’s often unacceptable in business for people to confess openly to not knowing, but the sharpest learners I know have a brutal honesty with themselves about where they can improve.

So if autopilot is to be switched off sometimes, what does real learning require? Firstly do you identify what you need to learn by creating moments to reflect and really notice yourself – the good and less good? That relies on a climate of feedback from a range of people. Leaders influence the conditions for this to flourish, but everyone can engage in giving and receiving feedback. Secondly, HR, OD and management have to trust staff to find good answers about what they need to learn and then support flexible interventions. Of course staff must respect that this strategy is risky, but in my experience trust is reciprocated. These are some of the building blocks of real learning I believe.

If you want to be a more active learner, here are a few questions for you: