Chapter Fifteen
Learning at the Top
How CEOs Set the Tone for the
Knowledge Organization
James F. Bolt
Charles Brassard
Chief executive officers sit atop huge knowledge creation and distribution
systems within their organization. They have the power
to shape these systems and integrate them within the operations of
the company. Their decisions influence what investments will be
made in technology and in people to set knowledge into motion
throughout and outside their organization. Sharing with their people
a compelling vision for how knowledge can be a source of competitive
advantage for the company, and implementing the
operating systems that will deliver on this vision are key levers for
CEOs. More important, however, the beliefs, commitments, and
behaviors of CEOs toward learning and knowledge sharing are
what will ultimately drive changes in the culture of the organization
and produce sustained results. This is because CEOs are the
most watched people in any organization. What they do sends
ripples down the whole line. Understandably, without a clear statement
of shared values and a continuous demonstration of how
learning and sharing knowledge contribute to delivering the corporate
strategy, CEOs cannot create the momentum needed to fully
leverage the collective intelligence of the organization.
How do CEOs learn? How do they demonstrate their commitment
to learning and knowledge sharing in their organization? This
chapter presents a wide range of practices used successfully by
CEOs and top executive leaders to support their learning and to
demonstrate their commitment to learning and knowledge sharing
in the organizations they lead.1 It also describes some of the challenges
and opportunities inherent to learning at the CEO level. It
provides ideas on how to integrate learning into the fast-paced lives
of top executives and how to support these executives better.
What CEOs Need to Be Effective
Learning and Knowledge Leaders
CEOs have considerable resources at their disposal to learn but are
working under constant pressure and competing demands for their
time. Their success depends largely on their ability to learn from
experience and to reflect on these experiences. CEOs also have a
unique vantage point from which to access and connect ideas
quickly. Their learning depends on their ability to filter information
and knowledge efficiently from within and outside the organization.
Finally, CEOs are literally alone at the top. Their peers are
outside the boundaries of the organization. Their learning depends
on their ability to forge formal and informal networks with people
outside their organization.
Here are some of the most important leadership attributes or
behaviors that support CEOs in their learning and knowledge
management agenda:
• They have a desire to learn. They openly acknowledge the fact
that they are constantly learning. To do so, they integrate learning
into all aspects of their lives (work, family time, social activities,
travel), and they constantly reach out to learn from others. They
adopt the attitude that there is something new to learn in every
situation and from every person.
• They have an open and curious mind. They are not only open
to diverse perspectives and points of view; they also actively seek out
people and ideas that challenge their way of seeing the world. They
ask questions that generate insights and new possibilities for action.
• They show humility. They have the ability to see themselves
in action and to openly talk about their mistakes. Their ego
doesn’t get in the way of learning. They accept the position of not
knowing and respect others for recognizing the same.
• They make their learning public. They invite feedback at every
opportunity. They are proactive in having people observe them and
are public about the development issues on which they are working.
They use every opportunity to share stories about their experiences
and what they have learned from them.
• They tolerate risk. They are tolerant of mistakes as long as
there is a commitment to learning. They believe that to be
successful, learning in the organization must be greater than the
rate of change.
• They “walk the talk.” Not only are they vocal about their
support of learning, but they also sustain the resources dedicated by
the organization for learning in good and bad times. They model
what they preach and ask others to do the same.
How CEOs Acquire and Share Their Knowledge
CEOs acquire knowledge in a multitude of ways, and they don’t
just keep it to themselves.
CEOs Learn on the Job
CEOs see every transaction, conversation, and forum as an opportunity
to learn. They are intentional about it through the process
of reflection. They stop periodically to consider what and how they
might learn. They invite people to trigger their reflection process
through questions that challenge the way they see the business and
the organization.
They intentionally use the business agenda to ground their
learning and foster the sharing of knowledge. Here are four real
examples of how this is done.
• Strategic business dialogue. The CEO identifies a critical business
issue (such as the future business model for the company or
doing business in a new country) and the key questions for which
he or she needs answers. A few key people (such as a CEO with
extensive experience in the area, outside thinkers, consultants, or
partners) meet face to face in a structured conversation to consider
analyses done by participants, as well as perspectives and ideas, on
this particular issue. This is a dialogue for learning and opening
possibilities, not for immediate decisions.
• Business review process. Several times during the year, CEOs
meet with their top executives (in a functional or geographical area
or across the company) to consider business results and future goals.
They and their teams use these opportunities to assess their performance
and learn from both their successes and their failures. The
reviews keep the focus on learning at the practical level and foster
open dialogue. CEOs use these sessions with different business units
as a way to cross-pollinate ideas and best practices across the organization.
In addition, these best practices are documented and integrated
in the training and education programs of the organization.
• Executive or board meetings. CEOs use these opportunities to
get continuous feedback on their performance and that of their
organization. They also want to hear how the organization is
perceived from the outside.
• Regular business and project meetings. CEOs integrate a particular
focus for learning as a part of all of these meetings (for example,
bringing a business outsider to share best practices or having a
structured dialogue on teamwork). They also use after-action
reviews in every possible business setting. An after-action review is
a dedicated period of time at the end of every meeting in which
teams may reflect on and discuss what they have accomplished,
what they have learned in the process, what they could have done
differently to be more effective, and how they can share what they
have learned in the organization.
CEOs Learn from Feedback
They give and get feedback from multiple sources, such as 360-
degree feedback, interviews with customers and employees, and
surveys. They model the importance of feedback by using every
opportunity to give feedback to others. They seek and receive feedback
with enthusiasm, but even more important, they say what
they will do about it and give credit to those who provide it to
them. They publicly communicate what development areas they
are working on and encourage others to emulate their commitment
to learning through feedback.
They surround themselves with strong people who can give
them feedback honestly and powerfully. They use their board of
directors as peer respondents (in 360-degree assessments) and set
time aside during every board meeting for personal feedback. They
seek out people within the organization (beyond their immediate
entourage of top executives) on whom they can rely for honest
feedback. In other words, they drive a culture that enables people
to speak up as opposed to telling them what they want to hear.
CEOs Learn from Coaches
CEOs use coaches for specific and distinct purposes. Here are three
examples of how they use coaches:
• To support the strategic agenda. This answers the question
“Where are we going?” Coaches work at this level to help CEOs in
their leadership capacity, for example, to focus on an organizational
priority or to implement specific change initiatives. The coaching
process aims to open new perspectives and insights that can guide
them in their strategic agendas. Coaches stimulate new thinking
by using books, research reports, and other resources, and they
challenge CEOs to approach the priority or initiative in innovative
ways. The desired outcome is enhanced leadership effectiveness in
the context of a successful change initiative.
• To enhance a specific domain of expertise. This form of coaching
provides access to expertise and insights in specific areas of
operations (such as financial acumen and strategy execution).
CEOs often access the best resources in the world to support them
in such domains. Learning in this context is “just in time” and is
carefully framed so as to maximize time and performance. CEOs
can be ruthless about what they need to learn and what is not useful
to them.
• To enhance their leadership effectiveness. This typically
involves coaching that focuses on building specific competencies
and changing behaviors (such as managing specific relationships
more effectively). This form of coaching focuses on achieving
specific and measurable results (that can be observed by others).
CEOs Learn from Mentors
CEOs seek out mentors to support their learning and development.
In this context, mentors are role models or “wise people.” They
learn by ob
Chapter Fifteen
Learning at the Top
How CEOs Set the Tone for the
Knowledge Organization
James F. Bolt
Charles Brassard
Chief executive officers sit atop huge knowledge creation and distribution
systems within their organization. They have the power
to shape these systems and integrate them within the operations of
the company. Their decisions influence what investments will be
made in technology and in people to set knowledge into motion
throughout and outside their organization. Sharing with their people
a compelling vision for how knowledge can be a source of competitive
advantage for the company, and implementing the
operating systems that will deliver on this vision are key levers for
CEOs. More important, however, the beliefs, commitments, and
behaviors of CEOs toward learning and knowledge sharing are
what will ultimately drive changes in the culture of the organization
and produce sustained results. This is because CEOs are the
most watched people in any organization. What they do sends
ripples down the whole line. Understandably, without a clear statement
of shared values and a continuous demonstration of how
learning and sharing knowledge contribute to delivering the corporate
strategy, CEOs cannot create the momentum needed to fully
leverage the collective intelligence of the organization.
How do CEOs learn? How do they demonstrate their commitment
to learning and knowledge sharing in their organization? This
chapter presents a wide range of practices used successfully by
CEOs and top executive leaders to support their learning and to
demonstrate their commitment to learning and knowledge sharing
in the organizations they lead.1 It also describes some of the challenges
and opportunities inherent to learning at the CEO level. It
provides ideas on how to integrate learning into the fast-paced lives
of top executives and how to support these executives better.
What CEOs Need to Be Effective
Learning and Knowledge Leaders
CEOs have considerable resources at their disposal to learn but are
working under constant pressure and competing demands for their
time. Their success depends largely on their ability to learn from
experience and to reflect on these experiences. CEOs also have a
unique vantage point from which to access and connect ideas
quickly. Their learning depends on their ability to filter information
and knowledge efficiently from within and outside the organization.
Finally, CEOs are literally alone at the top. Their peers are
outside the boundaries of the organization. Their learning depends
on their ability to forge formal and informal networks with people
outside their organization.
Here are some of the most important leadership attributes or
behaviors that support CEOs in their learning and knowledge
management agenda:
• They have a desire to learn. They openly acknowledge the fact
that they are constantly learning. To do so, they integrate learning
into all aspects of their lives (work, family time, social activities,
travel), and they constantly reach out to learn from others. They
adopt the attitude that there is something new to learn in every
situation and from every person.
• They have an open and curious mind. They are not only open
to diverse perspectives and points of view; they also actively seek out
people and ideas that challenge their way of seeing the world. They
ask questions that generate insights and new possibilities for action.
• They show humility. They have the ability to see themselves
in action and to openly talk about their mistakes. Their ego
doesn’t get in the way of learning. They accept the position of not
knowing and respect others for recognizing the same.
• They make their learning public. They invite feedback at every
opportunity. They are proactive in having people observe them and
are public about the development issues on which they are working.
They use every opportunity to share stories about their experiences
and what they have learned from them.
• They tolerate risk. They are tolerant of mistakes as long as
there is a commitment to learning. They believe that to be
successful, learning in the organization must be greater than the
rate of change.
• They “walk the talk.” Not only are they vocal about their
support of learning, but they also sustain the resources dedicated by
the organization for learning in good and bad times. They model
what they preach and ask others to do the same.
How CEOs Acquire and Share Their Knowledge
CEOs acquire knowledge in a multitude of ways, and they don’t
just keep it to themselves.
CEOs Learn on the Job
CEOs see every transaction, conversation, and forum as an opportunity
to learn. They are intentional about it through the process
of reflection. They stop periodically to consider what and how they
might learn. They invite people to trigger their reflection process
through questions that challenge the way they see the business and
the organization.
They intentionally use the business agenda to ground their
learning and foster the sharing of knowledge. Here are four real
examples of how this is done.
• Strategic business dialogue. The CEO identifies a critical business
issue (such as the future business model for the company or
doing business in a new country) and the key questions for which
he or she needs answers. A few key people (such as a CEO with
extensive experience in the area, outside thinkers, consultants, or
partners) meet face to face in a structured conversation to consider
analyses done by participants, as well as perspectives and ideas, on
this particular issue. This is a dialogue for learning and opening
possibilities, not for immediate decisions.
• Business review process. Several times during the year, CEOs
meet with their top executives (in a functional or geographical area
or across the company) to consider business results and future goals.
They and their teams use these opportunities to assess their performance
and learn from both their successes and their failures. The
reviews keep the focus on learning at the practical level and foster
open dialogue. CEOs use these sessions with different business units
as a way to cross-pollinate ideas and best practices across the organization.
In addition, these best practices are documented and integrated
in the training and education programs of the organization.
• Executive or board meetings. CEOs use these opportunities to
get continuous feedback on their performance and that of their
organization. They also want to hear how the organization is
perceived from the outside.
• Regular business and project meetings. CEOs integrate a particular
focus for learning as a part of all of these meetings (for example,
bringing a business outsider to share best practices or having a
structured dialogue on teamwork). They also use after-action
reviews in every possible business setting. An after-action review is
a dedicated period of time at the end of every meeting in which
teams may reflect on and discuss what they have accomplished,
what they have learned in the process, what they could have done
differently to be more effective, and how they can share what they
have learned in the organization.
CEOs Learn from Feedback
They give and get feedback from multiple sources, such as 360-
degree feedback, interviews with customers and employees, and
surveys. They model the importance of feedback by using every
opportunity to give feedback to others. They seek and receive feedback
with enthusiasm, but even more important, they say what
they will do about it and give credit to those who provide it to
them. They publicly communicate what development areas they
are working on and encourage others to emulate their commitment
to learning through feedback.
They surround themselves with strong people who can give
them feedback honestly and powerfully. They use their board of
directors as peer respondents (in 360-degree assessments) and set
time aside during every board meeting for personal feedback. They
seek out people within the organization (beyond their immediate
entourage of top executives) on whom they can rely for honest
feedback. In other words, they drive a culture that enables people
to speak up as opposed to telling them what they want to hear.
CEOs Learn from Coaches
CEOs use coaches for specific and distinct purposes. Here are three
examples of how they use coaches:
• To support the strategic agenda. This answers the question
“Where are we going?” Coaches work at this level to help CEOs in
their leadership capacity, for example, to focus on an organizational
priority or to implement specific change initiatives. The coaching
process aims to open new perspectives and insights that can guide
them in their strategic agendas. Coaches stimulate new thinking
by using books, research reports, and other resources, and they
challenge CEOs to approach the priority or initiative in innovative
ways. The desired outcome is enhanced leadership effectiveness in
the context of a successful change initiative.
• To enhance a specific domain of expertise. This form of coaching
provides access to expertise and insights in specific areas of
operations (such as financial acumen and strategy execution).
CEOs often access the best resources in the world to support them
in such domains. Learning in this context is “just in time” and is
carefully framed so as to maximize time and performance. CEOs
can be ruthless about what they need to learn and what is not useful
to them.
• To enhance their leadership effectiveness. This typically
involves coaching that focuses on building specific competencies
and changing behaviors (such as managing specific relationships
more effectively). This form of coaching focuses on achieving
specific and measurable results (that can be observed by others).
CEOs Learn from Mentors
CEOs seek out mentors to support their learning and development.
In this context, mentors are role models or “wise people.” They
learn by ob
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