Knowledge is not static. It constantly expands. Each day always brings something new to the table, which is why growth and learning are essential parts of human nature. Continuous development builds up a person, and many leaders and entrepreneurs get to where they are right now because of their thirst for learning.
How do you keep on upskilling yourself and expanding your knowledge while on the entrepreneurial journey? There are plenty of ways to consistently expose yourself to new things and widen your understanding of various concepts and information.
Read books and other materials
There are multitudes of reading materials that can provide you with pointers, tips and insights on improving yourself. Business leaders and visionaries have also written countless books that can give you a peek into their minds and experiences. Apart from books, there are magazines and online posts that give additional information and remind us of already acquired knowledge that we can take with us to our day-to-day lives and into our business.
We had shared several lists of books on this site. There are books recommended by EO members, biographies of known business leaders, books on persuasion and negotiation, books by women business leaders, crisis management books, and books written by EO members.
Listen to podcasts
Podcasts that cater to the needs of entrepreneurs are a great resource of information and inspiration. There are plenty of known podcasts online and we’ve compiled 20 of them that can be helpful to entrepreneurs. Apart from this list, there are also some amazing podcasts by EO that feature different entrepreneurs and business leaders and covers various topics across many industries.
Attend seminars, workshops and learning events
What better way to learn from the more experienced and the experts than to have first-hand interaction with them? When you attend seminars and learning events you get the opportunity not only to listen to them but also to ask questions and clarify things. Among the benefits that entrepreneurs get when they join EO is access to opportunities, events and executive education programmes.
EO members share some of the learning events that they find have helped them in their professional growth. John Anderton, Founder and CEO of Butterfly, found that he learned a lot from “the whole-day sessions on elements from Scaling Up, e.g., People,” referring to EO’s Accelerator Learning Days, which includes workshops and pre-work, such as readings from Verne Harnish’s book, Scaling Up.
There are EO learning events that stood out for Anthony Holdstock, Director and Owner of Sharp & Carter, and he cited them, “I really liked Warren Rustand’s event on raising high-performing families and I enjoyed the Gabby Leibovich session (Catch of the Decade).” Warren Rustand’s event was attended by the families of EO members, which made it even more meaningful.
Whilst for Mark Calabro, Co-Founder of HungryHungry, the event that he found helpful to his journey was the "Battlescars of Business" with Gus Balbontin. “He was fantastic, and he really stretched my mind with the way I think about education and the world,” Mark shared.
Experience things
They say there’s no better teacher than experience itself. It’s even more exciting when the things you’ve read and heard are put into practical use and you even learn more along the way. Many entrepreneurs and business leaders learn from their experiences, taking into account their strengths, weaknesses, limits and capabilities that can often emerge in a particular situation. Even institutions that provide formal education acknowledge the importance of experience, which is why practicum and internships are included in courses and school programs.
Observe and reflect
Learning is often as simple as using the five senses. Be conscious of things you encounter each day. There are instances wherein you may not be in the thick of things, but you can observe and learn from the things and happenings around you. You can watch how someone you look up to does things in their business or listen to the experience shares and tips from your mentor. Whether you experienced something yourself or somebody did and you only witnessed it, follow it through by reflecting, filtering the things that you’ve seen or heard, and picking out the lessons that you can take with you on your entrepreneurial journey.
Think about the best way on how you can further hone your skills, talents and capabilities. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge your weaknesses so that you can expand your learning and improve yourself. How do you make sure that you continuously develop yourself as a person, entrepreneur, and business leader? Share with us your tips below.