Growth Faculty presents ‘In Conversation with Michelle Obama’ 

Learning as a Competitive Edge 

How Great Leaders Sustain Momentum (Jim Collins)

[Steven Bartlett](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/the-leadership-lessons-steven-bartlett-swears-by) says true prosperity is what you _know_ and what you can _do_.

As he puts it: _"Those who hoard gold have riches for a moment. Those who hoard knowledge and skills have riches for a lifetime."_

The host of The Diary of a CEO podcast knows learning gives you a competitive edge.

After all, it arms you with: 

*   **Adaptability in flux.** Skilled learners pivot faster when industries shift
*   **Problem-solving depth.** Broader knowledge means spotting patterns/connections others miss
*   **Future-proofing value.** Learning ability can't be automated or outsourced
*   **Innovation fuel.** Fresh knowledge sparks new ideas
*   **Career resilience.** New capabilities keep you employable and promotable

It's a compelling case for building [a learning culture](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/create-a-learning-culture-at-work). So let's dive a bit deeper!

Riches for a lifetime

Learning gives you a competitive edge but why is it essential for companies like [Specsavers](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/specsavers-and-Growth-Faculty-success-story), [HBF](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/hbf-s-learning-culture) and the rest of us to build a strong learning culture?

For a start:  

*   As **generative AI** embeds itself into daily operations, upskilling becomes the difference between leading change and being left behind
*   Learning and development's proven to **reduce work stress** and [increase happiness](https://www.inc.com/john-hall/how-to-break-down-employee-happiness-increase-chances-of-it-happening.html)
*   Research shows learning and innovating leads to [adaptive expertise](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_expertise#:~:text=Adaptive%20expertise%20is%20tied%20to,conceptual%20knowledge%2C%20and%20require%20transfer.) - the ability to apply knowledge to **novel problems**
*   [Research](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314511076_Enhancing_employee_engagement_through_training_and_development) shows training and development has a significant effect on **job satisfaction**, organisational commitment, advocacy, pride, **intention to stay**, and overall **employee engagement** score

Why is learning and development essential? 

As far back as 2016, more than half of [surveyed workers](https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2016/10/06/the-state-of-american-jobs/) knew it would become _essential throughout their work life_ to keep up with changes in the workplace.

Now World Economic Forum’s [Future of Jobs Report 2025](https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/in-full/3-skills-outlook/) shows that employers expect 39% of workers’ core skills to change by 2030.

It finds there is “…a growing focus on continuous learning, upskilling and reskilling programmes, enabling companies to better anticipate and manage future skill requirements.” – Future of Jobs Report 2025 

Surveyed employers show they want “an agile, innovate and collaborative” workforce.

They report their top core skills to be:

·        Analytical thinking (7 out of 10 companies consider it essential)

·        Resilience, flexibility and agility

·        Leadership and social influence (“underscoring the critical role of adaptability and collaboration alongside cognitive skills”)

·        Creative thinking

·        Motivation and self-awareness

Upskilling and reskilling revolution

Growth Faculty’s own [Future of Learning report](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/future-of-learning-report) shows three trends in learning:

*   A shift to coaching and mentoring for all employees, not just executives
*   AI-powered learning: Creating simulations, customising content, and providing personalised feedback
*   The rise of peer learning

Growth Faculty Head of Learning. Barbara Harvey, says peer or [social learning](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/sociallearningleadershipdevelopment) is key.

“In a circular economy, what you have is that when an item enters into the economy, it doesn't leave. It's reused. It's recycled. It's repurposed. You go back to the roots of what works and what lasts and what endures.

“And I think we need to do that in learning. I think we need to go back to the origins of what remains in our minds and what's unforgettable.

“And that is community, that is [social learning](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/sociallearningleadershipdevelopment), that is [storytelling](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/storytelling-superpower/overview?sid=a0KRG00000OSXpd2AH) and deep human connection,” she says.

Future of Learning

Stable work is a rarer and rarer commodity.

Employees increasingly fear their skills may have a short shelf life, and this reduces their competitive advantage. They want their company's support to keep learning. 

A recent [Seek study](https://www.seek.com.au/employer/hiring-advice/why-learning-and-development-matters-in-the-workplace) showed:

*   67% of employees expected their employers to pay for their upskilling activities.
*   Only 25% had participated in formal training in the past year
*   39% were keen for more.

It concludes “a progressive employer will map skills and capabilities of the current workforce against the capabilities that they will want or need in the future, identify the gaps and then help employees to focus on how they can fill these gaps.”

Managers stand to get so much upside from supporting and providing professional development, it's something of a no-brainer to provide it to teams, even those working remotely.

Fear of not staying relevant

McKinsey [research](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/we-are-all-techies-now-digital-skill-building-for-the-future) reveals that while nearly all employees and C-suite leaders have some familiarity with gen AI tools, nearly half of employees want the competitive advantage of more formal training. And, that applies to upskilling generally.

Over the next decade, companies will need to:

*   Ensure that upskilling is a shared **priority** among senior leaders (as it is at [Specsavers](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/specsavers-and-Growth-Faculty-success-story))
*   Leaders to role model [**lifelong learning**](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/the-case-for-continuous-learning)
*   Put the learner in the driver’s seat. Build a culture of **learning and ownership**. [McKinsey](https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/business%20functions/organization/our%20insights/elevating%20learning%20and%20development/elevating-learning-and-development-intro.ashx) reports: _"With the growth of user-friendly digital-learning platforms, employees will take more ownership of their professional development....such innovations will require companies to devote more resources to training."_
*   Ensure that managers provide employees with appropriate **time and support** to learn. 
*   **Integrate learning** into day-to-day work to develop an always-on approach

Skills and traits needed towards 2030

There's no doubt many of your staff are feeling the strains of these changes, and general [work stress.](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/half-of-workers-stressed-shows-gallup-survey)

[TalentCode](https://www.talentcodehr.com.au/) HR founder and managing director Trudy MacDonald told Growth Faculty’s [masterclass on resilience and accountability](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/howtohelpburnoutatwork) that without intervention, many workers will end their year feeling exhausted, unmotivated, and not performing at their highest level.

An employer who ignores training and learning is also choosing to ignore these 3 competitive advantages:

*   **Retention** - 94% of employees say they'd stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning development (LinkedIn 2019 Workplace Learning Report)
*   **Performance** - [Study](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332537797_The_Importance_of_Training_and_Development_in_Employee_Performance_and_Evaluation) shows training and development is a significant motivator for employees.
*   **Engagement** - [Research](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314511076_Enhancing_employee_engagement_through_training_and_development) shows significant effect on job satisfaction, organisational commitment, advocacy, pride, intention to stay, and overall employee engagement score.

Benefits of L&D

Of all the employee engagement ideas that work, online L&D is one of the most effective, inexpensive, flexible, and time-effective forms of HR training. 

Growth Faculty’s live virtual learning sessions feature some of the world's most influential thought leaders in business and leadership, many of them focusing on AI implementation and tools, change leadership, and adaptable leadership.

Download our [latest program](https://ideas.growthfaculty.com/l/1071223/2024-06-12/5q9w34) to see who's up next.

Online learning with Growth Faculty

It's been said before, but worth saying again. [Studies](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373775939_Employee_Training_and_Development_Enhancing_Employee_Performance_-_A_Study) show investment in training and development improves competitive advantage by offering employees and their managers:

*   Greater levels of job satisfaction
*   A sense of security
*   Greater employee engagement
*   Skills to enhance their overall capabilities and flexibility to succeed in  potential future roles
*   A perpetual cycle of expansion (where an increase in performance requires increasingly sophisticated avenues of training and development)

Multiple positive effects of training and development

Right now scared and stressed managers and staff are assessing their future.

Indeed, McKinsey highlights Nick van Dam's [Elevating Learning and Development report](https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/business%20functions/people%20and%20organizational%20performance/our%20insights/elevating%20learning%20and%20development/elevating-learning-and-development-intro.pdf) which shows a large number of people will need to learn new skills to _remain employable_.

Team training and development is proven to:

*   Attract and retain talent
*   Develop people capabilities
*   Motivate and engage employees
*   Create a values-based culture
*   Build an employer brand

_"Today, L&D leaders must design and implement interventions that support informal learning, including coaching and mentoring, on-the-job instruction, apprenticeships, leadership shadowing, action-based learning, **on-demand access** to digital learning, and **lunch-and-learn** sessions." -_ McKinsey Elevating Learning and Development report.

Continuing professional development makes your people more likely to _want to stay_, according to [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/nazbeheshti/2019/01/16/10-timely-statistics-about-the-connection-between-employee-engagement-and-wellness/?sh=4674b84022a0), and "your people" are a competitive advantage that's difficult, if not impossible, to copy [says John Spence.](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/customerfocuscustomerservice)

Your people are your competitive advantage - learning helps you keep them

Showing nearly a third of CEOs now _actively champion_ learning, LinkedIn's Workplace Learning Report back in 2021 described well the rising impact of the learning and development (L&D) discipline as:

*   A leadership and management development engine
*   A growth engine for career trajectories and meaningful business impact
*   An onboarding pro
*   An expert in scaling learning across the organisation

Now we also know it's a key factor in a company's competitive advantage.

From the top: CEOs get that learning is an investment not a cost

[Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com/3014443/why-being-an-eternal-newbie-leads-to-awesome-work) says being an "eternal newbie" is critical, and it's important to develop a beginner's mind.

This means seeking out new information and teachings and being unafraid to experiment with different theories and methods.

*   Hone in on what skill-sets your team needs (eg. trust, time management, negotiation, disruption, leadership)
*   Look for proven speakers or thought leaders in their field, preferably aligned with respected businesses, institutions or universities.
*   Take notes during the session
*   To embed the knowledge, implement learnings as soon as possible, try to teach what you've learned to others, write an article, or do a presentation on the content.

Where to start on your lifelong learning journey

Employers expect their employers will pay to update their skills. If you’re committed to fostering a high-performance environment, consider [joining them up as Growth Faculty members](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/?campaign_id=701RG000006BNNhYAO&promo=BlogGF).

Our [membership](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/?campaign_id=701RG000006BNNhYAO&promo=BlogGF) offers access to the world's brightest thinkers plus replays, resources and insights to help team members and leaders confidently face the future with clarity and purpose.

Photo by [Vitaly Gariev](https://unsplash.com/@silverkblack?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-presenting-to-a-group-in-a-modern-office-ddW9WMz77F0?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash)

Learning as a Competitive Edge

Outlining the benefits of learning and development

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

Learning as a Competitive Edge

Outlining the benefits of learning and development

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired