LEARNING TO LEARN: THE KEY TO LEADERSHIP SUCCESS

Abstract

AbstractThe author is former CEO of 7‐Eleven, Inc., and Blockbuster, Inc., and has been involved at the board level and other key positions in various nonprofits and artistic organizations. He says that in his career, he “grew to appreciate the critical importance of education to the individual, the corporation, and to the humanity at large.” He says that he has tried to “capture ”what″ learnings were necessary, “how” to make leadership a dynamic learning process, and “why” continued learning is such a fundamental requirement for effective leadership. I have distilled the what, how, and why of my leadership education into 9 principles I call the “C‐Suite Learnings.” The three areas of what to learn are, in his words, change, confidence, and clarity. In how to learn, they are critical thinking, curiosity, and creativity. For why to learn, collaboration, cultural literacy, and character. “My goal,” he concludes, “is to help others find their own path to academic, professional, and even personal success. By practicing these nine Cs, we can Live to Learn; freeing ourselves from personal and societal constraints that limit our success. Only then will we truly Learn to Live; and in turn Learn to Lead.”