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Organizational learning|Three Ways to Lead Learning
Organizational learning

Three Ways to Lead Learning

Which one is best for your organization? by Gianpiero Petriglieri

From the Magazine (January–February 2025)
Franck Bohbot

Summary.   

Today the development of new skills, knowledge, and mindsets is critical to most businesses’ key strategic efforts. This has given rise to a new breed of senior leaders—leaders of learning—who advocate for and organize learning initiatives for enterprises and their employees. But the evidence on whether their programs are actually effective is mixed, and both executives and employees remain skeptical about them. To find out why, an INSEAD professor and his colleague interviewed leaders of learning at 69 multinational firms. The problem, they found, was that companies often assume that there’s just one way to lead learning. But in fact there are three: Custodians believe that learning must serve the needs of the organization first and foremost and are a good fit for organizations seeking alignment. Challengers think individuals have an intrinsic right to grow and that learning must support their development. They’re best when firms need innovation. Connectors integrate both approaches and emphasize bringing people together to learn from one another. They are most fruitful in organizations that are siloed and need more collaboration. It’s critical to understand the differences among the approaches and the right context for each.
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Over the past 25 years executives have become fervent advocates of learning, calling it an imperative, career insurance, and the only source of competitive advantage. That enthusiasm is warranted: Today the development of new skills, knowledge, and mindsets is critical to most businesses’ key strategic efforts—from navigating global crises and unprecedented industry change, addressing the rise of generative AI, and driving innovation, to attracting and retaining talent, building inclusive workplaces, and making a positive difference in society.

Read more on Organizational learning or related topics Leadership styles, Continuous learning, Corporate strategy, Organizational culture and Developing employees
A version of this article appeared in the January–February 2025 issue of Harvard Business Review.
Read more on Organizational learning or related topics Leadership styles, Continuous learning, Corporate strategy, Organizational culture and Developing employees

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