Letting go of outdated beliefs, inaccurate opinions, and unproductive habits makes room for new ideas and practices.
The process of unlearning frees up mental space and allows leaders to adapt to changes in a fast-paced workplace. Unlearning isn’t about forgetting. It is about reevaluating and replacing.
Identifying what needs to be unlearned is the biggest challenge. Even highly self-aware leaders are unlikely to know what they need to unlearn.
Looking for key indicators gives leaders the best clue. By examining what thoughts, behaviors, and mental models no longer produce the desired outcomes, leaders learn what needs to be unlearned and replaced with something better.
Anything that holds a leader back from elevating their skill level is a likely target for unlearning. Consistent frustration or struggle with the same poor results tells a leader they likely depend on a habit, belief, or assumption that is getting in the way.
Good leaders also look to others to notice repeated patterns of failure associated with outdated approaches. Sometimes only an outside party can uncover an elusive blind spot.
If, despite a consistent pattern of poor outcomes, a leader still clings to an approach, mindset, habit, or belief, it is a clear sign of a learning problem. An honest self-examination of the pattern will reveal a need for change.
Once a leader determines that an approach or habit needs to be discarded, the next step is to consider the many alternatives to replace it.
Exploring competing beliefs and perspectives with an open mind typically reveals an obvious replacement. But before jumping into a new approach, the better call is to gather as many examples as possible that validate the value of the alternative viewpoint.
When they are convinced a new and different approach or habit might produce a different set of outcomes, it is then time to integrate it into daily thoughts and behaviors through conscious repetition and reflection. The only way to reinforce the new belief or approach is to practice it consistently.
Even though most leaders will admit they need to unlearn some things, they remain blind or hesitant to do so.
Old habits and patterns die hard.
That’s why third parties, such as executive coaches and mentors, can play such a pivotal role in the process. Not only can they identify a faulty approach, but they can hold leaders accountable for making a change.
The best leaders learn, unlearn, and relearn. They know self-improvement and quality decision-making depend on it. They don’t allow their perspectives, beliefs, or habits to get stale.
The skill of unlearning is one of the most critical attributes of great leaders. Through unlearning, leaders get the chance to see things anew.
Now, that’s a powerful learning.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
