A key competency seen as needed for leaders today is the notion of
Learning Agility, which is a sort of meta-concept describing the ability to learn from experience. It postulates that what is needed today is not just the appropriate work experience, but the ability to actually learn from the experience and apply the learning to other situations.
A recent review by DeRue, Ashford and Myers (2012) critically analyzes the concept, which they claim has been so broad as to be potentially meaningless. They review relevant research and recommend a more focused model of
Learning Agility that highlights speed and flexibility as key components. It's not just the ability to learn from experience, but being able to
quickly and flexibly apply the learning to various situations.
Though needing additional research, this conception of
Learning Agility suggests it may be an important component of leadership and organizational performance in today's complex, global world.
ReferenceDeRue, D.S., Ashford, S.J., & Myers, C.G. (2012). Learning Agility: In Search of Conceptual Clarity and Theoretical Grounding. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice. (article can be dowloaded
here at C.G. Myers' research page, University of Michigan Ross School of Business).
