An underlying assumption of employee development is that employees are eager and able to learn continuously and adapt to changes and mistakes where necessary. Learning agility is a mindset and collection of practices that allow leaders to continually develop, grow, and utilize new strategies to face increasingly complex problems. Leaders have to remain open to new ways of thinking and to continuously learn new skills. We now know that these successful leaders are learning agile, meaning they show the willingness and ability to learn throughout their careers.

Learning agility is a necessary characteristic for employees who want to grow and develop. We see this with employees with high learning agility are willing to take ownership of their own career development. Organizations also recognize those employees who are learning agile, and are therefore more willing to provide development opportunities for them. Whether the development is self- or organization-directed, learning agility is important for success.

Employees who are learning agile are typically willing to be innovative and question the status quo. They perform well by staying calm when faced with difficulty and reflect on their experiences to learn from them. They are willing to take risks and volunteer for learning opportunities even if there is a chance of failure. Lastly, employees who are learning agile are open to learning and resist the temptation to become defensive in the face of adversity.

They seek feedback, process it, and adapt, and are highly self-motivated to learn and grow. When employees exhibit learning agility, they find themselves on the path to leadership and development opportunities within the organization. Regardless of the approach organizations take for development, learning agility is necessary for employees to succeed.