Think education ends with school? Think again. To thrive as a businessperson, one must commit to lifelong learning and continuous professional development. It is not just a nice-to-have. It is a must-have. Success in business demands dedication to ongoing education, acquiring new skills and staying up to date with the latest industry trends. By embracing the journey of lifelong learning, individuals open doors to endless opportunities and position themselves for long-term success. Here are several ways to gain new knowledge and expertise.
Read
Some of the most intelligent and accomplished people in the history of the world have written down their best ideas, and many of them can be accessed for free. Books open up entirely new worlds and allow for the expanding of horizons in any direction. Readers can learn from ancient philosophers or current CEOs. Estimates indicate that roughly 11,000 business books and 15,000 self-help books are published annually in the United States.
Yet, despite the clear benefits, many businesspeople still fail to prioritize reading. According to a Gallup survey, only 11 percent of workers reported reading a single business book in the previous six months. Those who invest just 15 minutes a day, five days a week, reading business or personal development books, place themselves in the top one percent in the world for self-improvement.
Listen and Watch
No desire to read? No problem –– listen to audiobooks or watch YouTube videos. I would not think of getting in my car for a long drive without having an audiobook picked out. For short trips, there are thousands of excellent podcasts to learn from. I also spend time each week watching YouTube videos from some of the top business experts in the world. With the benefit of today’s social media platforms, anyone can view lectures and educational seminars that typically cost thousands of dollars to attend, completely free of charge.
Attended Speeches and Training Workshops
The Association for Talent Development noted that the average employee spends approximately 34 hours per year on training and development activities. On the other hand, a Harvard Business Review study showed that high-performing leaders spend an average of six hours per week on learning and development activities. That is more than 300 hours a year. Education is certainly an investment in terms of time, but the ROI is astronomical.
Embrace Flexible Thinking
The case for investing time and money to learn new ideas has been made. Interestingly, it is just as critical to “unlearn” things that no longer work. Everyone knows about IQ; most people know about EQ (your emotional quotient, often called emotional intelligence). However, few people are familiar with AQ –– the Adaptability Quotient. AQ is an individual’s ability to adapt, adjust and thrive in the face of change, uncertainty and new challenges. As new knowledge is gained, it must also be matched with the courage to let go of outdated and irrelevant ideas.
Maintaining curiosity and a thirst for knowledge is vital to success in business. Really, though, there is no choice. As Will Rogers once said, “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just stand there.”
