Where growth and learning happens
In a world of change, the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned shall find themselves perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists.
– Eric Hoffer
After twenty-five years of running a leadership training company with Founder Des Penny, all whilst studying and observing the best workplaces, people, teams and leaders that inspire me, I discovered that they all have one thing in common…
They all have an amazing appetite for learning and development, with a willingness to embrace short-term discomfort for the benefit of future growth.
As Canadian author Robin Sharma boldly states, ‘You are not just paid to work. You are paid to be uncomfortable’. In fact, the essential theme from all great thought leaders around the world is that the best investment you can make is a commitment to life-long learning. Sharma goes on to implore people to continually invest in their own self-development and prioritise ‘Education over Entertainment’.
Whether I’m doing one-on-one coaching or facilitating leadership programs, there is one ultimate self-development goal that we all aspire to obtain and that is to be the most authentic version of ourselves.
However, in order to obtain this ultimate life goal of personal transformation, we need to grow and learn. That can only happen if you embrace the mantra, “be comfortable, being uncomfortable” a mantra we live by at Proteus. It isn’t easy embracing uncomfortability but as P.T Barnum said “comfort is the enemy of progress”. It is only through being comfortable with being uncomfortable, can you truly obtain personal or professional transformation.
Traditionally, after leaving school, you obtained a trade apprenticeship or a qualification and then had a job for life! Growth and learning were an optional bonus. However now, in our super-charged disruptive world, constant personal and professional growth has become not only a necessity, but a critical requirement to avoid becoming obsolete!
In today’s environment, we’re now required to continually step outside our comfort zone and become ‘first timers’, simply to keep up with all the changes that are happening around us.
However for most people, this doesn’t come naturally. In fact, US Professor, author, and vulnerability guru Brené Brown in her ‘FFTs podcast’ (effing first times), confirms through her research that as adults, we typically avoid and shy away from trying new things. This is simply because we don’t want to experience the embarrassment of making mistakes, looking incompetent and being vulnerable.
Brené Brown goes on to say,
I can tell you if the definition of vulnerability is uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure, then being new at something is the epitome of vulnerability.
So, the big question is, how do we embrace vulnerability and discomfort while we learn? I would contend that we do this by understanding where growth happens and by embracing a mindset of play and a joy of learning, that encourages us to be constantly stepping out of our comfort zone.
Where does genuine growth and learning happen?
True growth can only happen when we leave the safety of our comfort zone and move into the learning zone. Here, we embrace the short-term pain of experiencing what educational experts describe as being ‘consciously incompetent’ – yikes!
For the untrained mind, this is tough and often feels counter-intuitive. Why would I want to enter a new world of pain where there is no fun and enjoyment? The great thing about being in the Growth Zone (AKA the Learning Zone) however, is there is an opportunity to create a psychological state where we seek out and look forward to engaging in activities that challenge our existing skills and knowledge.
This is the zone where true learning and self-development occurs. This is because we are prepared to push ourselves beyond our familiar boundaries, take on new challenges and acquire new skills.
Sure, this zone involves a level of discomfort, but it is essential for personal and professional growth.
Beware of the Anxiety Zone
As lead educators and coaches at Proteus Leadership, our goal is not only to affirm people’s current skill sets, but to challenge them to stretch and grow to the next level. All within an environment where we don’t terrify them in the process!
We focus on creating this safe environment because we are asking people to let go of the familiar and start practicing new thinking, skills and behavioural change for the first time. If this is done poorly, it will cause anxiety and ironically, people will regress rather than grow.
Unfortunately, this Anxiety Zone is where most traditional workplaces and leaders find themselves. A classic example of this is when someone is promoted into a new leadership role (which requires a completely new set of people skills in itself). People proceed to just assume that these new leadership skills will ‘fall from heaven’! New leaders are just expected to ‘wing it’ and make it up as they go!
This common scenario immediately puts them into the ‘The Anxiety Zone’ where they feel threatened and experience high levels of stress. There are two classic scenarios that require new leadership growth; public speaking and having poor performance conversations. Both scenarios typically fill people with dread and anxiety and they usually become paralysed by fear and freeze. As a result, people try to avoid being put into these scenarios at all cost. This is simply not conducive to effective learning and will hinder all future performance and growth.
The key to transforming the negative effects of the Anxiety Zone is to change our narrative and approach. Rather than seeing the learning and growth stage as one filled with anxiety, we need to see it as a chance to play and explore before we are required to adopt these new skills and apply them in the real world.
When you give people the opportunity to play, practice, learn and laugh, as they bumble their way through various scenarios within a safe learning environment and without fear of judgement, something magical happens. This is where you witness transformation from being scared into being confident. Why? Because confidence is simply displayed skills being put into practice.
80/20 Rule for Play and Growth
Another great way to play in the Growth Zone is to adopt the ‘80/20 rule’. This is where you allow yourself to spend eighty percent of your time in the Safety Zone and twenty percent in the Growth Zone where you ‘get to play and learn’. Here, you can tap into your mentors, coaches and trusted colleagues, all whilst observing and working on new projects.
The benefit of adopting this ‘get to play and learn’ approach is two-fold. It prevents you from moving into the Anxiety Zone and it stops you from falling into the Redundant Zone. The Redundant Zone is where we stay in our ‘comfort zones’ for too long and we regress, rather than grow. This quickly leads to stagnation, a sense of boredom and is a fast-track to becoming obsolete.
So, let’s avoid staying in our comfort zones for too long and becoming redundant. Let’s not move into the Anxiety Zone where this poor learning approach only induces stress and hinders progress.
Remember, in our rapidly changing world, the concept that “the learners shall inherit the earth” holds true. Always be hungry to learn and grow!
The key is getting comfortable with discomfort and embracing new learning zones, where we willingly face short-term challenges to acquire new skills. At Proteus, we prefer to focus on transforming the narrative, turning the learning zone into safe exploration, a place of fun, joy and experimentation.
So, embrace the journey of constant learning, discard fear, and become the best version of yourself in this fast-paced world.
As we continue to play, learn new skills and ways of thinking in a rapidly changing environment, we inoculate ourselves from becoming irrelevant.
The only skill that will be important in the 21st century is the skill of learning new skills. Everything else will become obsolete over time.
– Peter Drucker
Richard Dore
CEO – Proteus Leadership