Unlocking Your Potential: The Power of Learning Agility
- Alisha O'Neill
- Feb 18
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 31
The world around us continues to move rapidly, whether through technological advancements, changing market dynamics, or political uncertainty. Learning from experiences and adapting behaviours and approaches within this evolving world is more vital than ever. In my experience, organizations continue to seek out what can position them for future success. One such concept that stands out as a key differentiator is learning agility. But what exactly is learning agility, and why should you or your organization consider investing in it? As a Certified Learning Agility Coach in the TALENTx7® Assessment, I’m here to guide you through understanding what it is and how to harness this important skill within yourself and your organization.
What Learning Agility Is
At its core, learning agility is often described as the ability and willingness to learn from experience and apply the knowledge and feedback acquired to new and challenging situations (Harvey & De Meuse, 2021). But let’s use a bit of a soccer analogy to describe it. Imagine learning agility to be like a soccer team’s post-match analysis. After the match, the soccer team will review the game footage, discuss their team and individual performance, and incorporate improvements to prepare them for future matches. Like the soccer team, individuals with higher learning agility will examine their experiences from a situation, obtain reasonable feedback, and then apply their insights in new or different circumstances to enhance their performance and potential.
But wait. Doesn’t that sound like just demonstrating agility overall? Not quite. While there are different learning agility tools and models available, the TALENTx7® Assessment incorporates several essential facets, which include:
Interpersonal Acumen – your ability to understand different people, connect with them effectively, recognize their motivations and strengths, and inspire their best performance.
Cognitive Perspective – your ability to think broadly and critically by tackling complex issues from multiple angles and solving problems strategically.
Environmental Mindfulness – the degree of your situational awareness of the environment around you, including your ability to adapt to changing roles and manage your emotions while embracing new settings.
Drive to Excel – the ability to thrive in challenging conditions, set ambitious goals, and deliver results in new, unfamiliar situations.
Self-Insight – the degree of your self-awareness, including your strengths, limitations, values, and goals in work settings.
Change Alacrity – your eagerness to embrace change, stay curious, learn new ideas, and try innovative approaches to performing your work.
Feedback Responsiveness – your ability to seek out, listen to, and act on feedback from others to improve your performance.
What Learning Agility Is Not
Now that we have a baseline understanding of what learning agility is, we should discuss what it is not. Learning agility is not the same as being smart or picking things up quickly. Sure, these attributes will undoubtedly help in certain situations. However, as noted above, learning agility applies to a broader set of skills in real-world situations. It’s just as much about how you learned from the experience as it is about what knowledge you gained.
Let’s return to our soccer analogy to explain. Learning agility is not just about having a talented soccer team or fast players. It’s more like a team that adapts its strategy based on past game experiences, is motivated to improve after their wins and losses, applies its training drills effectively in real game match situations, and celebrates the learnings from each game. In short, a truly agile team doesn’t rely on their natural skills or memorized plays; they constantly evolve their approach based on what they have learned on the field.
In a world where jobs are continuously changing and different industries experience disruption caused by technology and innovation, individuals who demonstrate higher levels of learning agility will be better equipped not only to survive but thrive.
Why Learning Agility Should Matter to You
Studies show that learning agility is a key differentiator in determining individuals' performance and potential (i.e., your ability to move up or within an organization). De Meuse (2019) completed an important meta-analysis of 20 empirically tested field studies representing 4,897 participants and found a stronger relationship between learning agility and leadership performance compared to other factors, like intelligence quotient (IQ), structured interviews, emotional intelligence (EQ), and job experience. Dries et al. (2012) found that high performers are three times more likely to be identified as high potentials. However, when high performers demonstrate high levels of learning agility, their leadership potential increases as much as eighteen times within an organization! This compelling research aside, let’s discuss why learning agility should matter to you as an individual or an organization.
For Individuals
In a world where jobs are continuously changing and different industries experience disruption caused by technology and innovation, individuals who demonstrate higher levels of learning agility will be better equipped not only to survive but thrive. Here’s why:
Increased Adaptability: Agile individuals are often considered valuable assets because they can quickly adapt to changing situations or new roles and responsibilities. This, in turn, can lead to career growth and promotion opportunities.
Better Problem-Solving: Individuals with higher levels of cognitive perspective and interpersonal acumen can approach problems from various perspectives, leading to more effective solutions.
Heightened Resilience: A high degree of change alacrity and a drive to excel enable individuals to persevere and remain productive during challenging situations, demonstrating their resilience when faced with setbacks or changes.
Continuous Development: Individuals who embrace feedback and demonstrate a strong sense of self-insight help build a culture of continuous improvement, where individuals feel safe to learn, refine, and build their skills.
For Organizations
While all roles do not necessarily require high levels of learning agility, such as those in safety-sensitive positions where maintaining consistency can protect individuals on the job, organizations that recognize the competitive advantage that learning agility brings will reap the benefits in several ways, including:
Increased Innovation and Growth: Companies that attract and retain individuals with high learning agility are more likely to see creative solutions to complex challenges because their employees adapt to ideas from different experiences and environments.
Market Dynamics Adaptability: In rapidly changing global markets, organizations that demonstrate their ability to adapt quickly and resourcefully to change have a significant edge over their competitors.
Heightened Employee Engagement: Developing learning agility skills with your employees can increase their engagement level within the organization, as they are exposed to different growth opportunities and stimulating work environments.
Better Leadership Development: Agile individuals can be developed into great leaders through ‘stretch’ assignments, job rotations, and cross-functional teams, with the opportunity to inspire others to embrace adaptability and a results-oriented approach.
How I Can Help You Develop Learning Agility
As a Certified Learning Agility Coach, I use the TALENTx7® Assessment. This scientifically developed and globally recognized assessment provides insights into the seven facets discussed and produces an overall learning agility score. I take the time to analyze your individual or team results and offer tailored programs designed to enhance your learning agility. Here’s how I can help:
Comprehensive Assessment: Your learning agility journey begins with a thorough 20-25 minute assessment that produces highly reliable and valid results measuring your different facets of learning agility.
Detailed Results Analysis: I invest in your results by reviewing them carefully beforehand to understand your current behavioural tendencies and potential derailers so we can discuss how you can enhance or overcome them.
Personalized Coaching Session: We have a confidential conversation about what you like and dislike and where you would like to be in the future. Based on your results, I share insights and provide detailed feedback that highlights learning agility strategies you can apply.
Development Plan Partnership: Following your personalized coaching session, I work closely with you on a development plan you would like to focus on that includes realistic goals to enhance one or more of your learning agility facets.
Ongoing Coaching Support: Learning agility takes time to develop and requires continuous effort and support. With regular coaching sessions, I can continue to offer you guidance, motivation, and accountability to help you achieve your goals.
Team Building and Workshops: For organizations seeking to build a culture of learning agility, I develop and facilitate team building and workshops for teams that can equip them with the skills they need to thrive in the changing world around us.
Why You Should Reach Out
If you are fascinated by the potential that learning agility can provide you or your organization but are unsure where to start or how it applies, reaching out to a professional is a wise step. As a Certified Learning Agility Coach and someone who has worked in the industry for over 20 years:
I bring you meaningful insights backed by a scientifically developed assessment.
I use a confidential and personalized approach, meaning our discussion will not mirror others.
I am committed to being a coach and acting as your thought partner as you work towards unlocking your potential. I want to see you succeed!
Whether you are an individual seeking personal growth or an organization seeking transformative change, I am here to help. Learning agility is a key differentiator in your success!
Embrace the Learning Agility Journey
Learning agility isn’t just another buzzword; it’s an essential set of skills that will help you thrive in uncertain conditions—and its importance will only continue to grow over time. Just as a soccer game evolves, so must the players and their strategies. By investing in learning agility, you’re not just preparing your team to stay in the league—you’re setting them up to lift the championship trophy. Ready to take the next step and hit the training ground together? Contact me today to explore how we can partner together to harness the power of learning agility and unlock the potential within you!
References
De Meuse, K. P. (2019). A meta-analysis of the relationship between learning agility and leader success. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 19(1), 25–34. Retrieved from Google Scholar on the World Wide Web: https://articlearchives.co/index.php/JOP/article/view/4251
Dries, N., Vantilborgh, T., & Pepermans, R. (2012). The role of learning agility and career variety in the identification and development of high potential employees. Personnel Review, 41(3), 340–358. https://doi.org/10.1108/00483481211212977
Harvey, V. S., & De Meuse, K. P. (Eds.). (2021). Learning agility: What we know, what we need to know, and where do we go from here?. In V. S. Harvey & K. P. De Meuse (Eds.), The age of agility: Building learning agile leaders and organizations (pp. 445-475). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
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