Calling all leaders, are you focused on your own leadership development?

BlueBottleBiz
Aug 9, 2017 · 4 min read

When you think of professional development, what comes to mind? Like many, you probably think of young professionals, who are fresh out of college and just entering the workforce. They’re the ones who have the most learning to do, right? Not necessarily. Learning is a life-long journey, and something professionals shouldn’t lose sight of when they assume top positions.

Leadership comes with new roles and responsibilities. Instead of learning the ins and outs of a new company or a new industry, instead leaders must shift their focus to learning about people management, change management and team building, as well as best ways for resolving conflict at work.

Some might argue that the best way to learn how to manage each leadership challenge — like many other things in business — is to experience the challenges firsthand. But, there are ways for people to prepare for leadership challenges before they’re caught in the middle of them. The answer? Video learning for leaders.

Every leader should be armed with easy access to a video content library that features videos covering a variety of leadership-related scenarios, produced by a variety of different content providers. It’s important that the videos come from a diverse pool of providers so leaders can gain multiple perspectives, then reflect on their own leadership styles.

The beauty of online collaboration

Taking video consumption a step further, leaders can capitalize on what they’ve watched by sharing specific videos — and their own interpretations of the videos — with other leaders in their networks. Sharing videos (or any professional content, really) and exchanging ideas with peers is an excellent leadership development method.

Video-based collaborative learning allows for the following:

  1. Better retention of what was viewed/learned from the video
  2. Increased formulation of innovative leadership ideas and strategies
  3. Clarity on how to handle specific leadership challenges in the real-world

Now, you might be thinking, “As a leader, there’s no way I’d have time for this much learning and collaboration, given my busy schedule.”

First and foremost, learning shouldn’t be an afterthought once a leadership position is assumed (as previously mentioned). It’s up to individuals to carve out time. And there’s a way to find balance between learning, meetings, conference calls, budgeting…the list goes on.

Maximum impact, minimal time

The video learning concepts covered in this article aren’t meant to imply that leaders should spend an hour or two each day watching different videos, analyzing them and collaborating with others. Instead, the concepts are meant to help maximize the 1% of time Bersin by Deloitte says professionals spend on development each week, on average (that’s less than a half hour).

For leaders, take control of that 1% by seeking out videos that are brief — less than three minutes. After watching, jot down your notes, key phrases that stuck out, or an overall reflection and share it with a handful of trusted colleagues. There are learning platforms out there that combine video content with collaborative tools and a seamless networking experience that allow for this process to take place without carving out much time.

These same platforms are available on mobile devices, to ensure leaders don’t miss their colleagues’ responses. Just like checking email, leaders can check messages or group pages to see who’s responded to content shares or who is sharing other content that might be of particular relevance.

With a set up like this, learning turns into a social experience and one that is easily integrated into leaders’ busy and mobile lifestyles. Who knows, maybe the 1% of time allotted for development will increase with more widespread adoption of collaborative and social learning.

Here are a few examples of video content featured in BlueBottleBiz:

After viewing, head over to the App Store or Google Play to download the BlueBottleBiz mobile app for an optimal collaborative learning experience. If you get the chance to browse the library more in-depth, let us (or your networks!) know the content that’s most relevant to you and your current challenges. Comment below, and if you liked what you read, feel free to share! After all, we’re in the business of collaboration.

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