Our Philosophy
Learn to Create Your World
Few of us will ever have the power to truly change the world, but we can learn to create our own world. We can set an example that ripples through the waters of the fragile society our species has built for itself. We can do better, one person, at a time, starting with ourselves.
In his book, ‘An Autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth’ Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “I was asked to put everything else on one side and finish writing the autobiography. I replied that I had already framed a programme of study for myself and that I could not think of doing anything else until this course was complete.” Gandhi had already achieved so much positive change in the world, more than anyone could reasonably expect from one man, and yet he continued to be a dedicated lifelong learner.
Other notable examples of self-directed, lifelong learners include Leonardo DiVinci, Harry Truman, Abraham Lincoln, Malcolm X, and Steve Jobs. The evidence is overwhelming: learning to teach yourself is one of the most fundamental principles to not only having an incredible life but also in bringing about positive change in the world.
Why Self-Directed Learning?
The love of learning is a true love of self. It is a kindness, and a gift that gives back for a lifetime to the self-directed learner. The more we learn to love learning the greater we can take responsibility for our lives, and the better we are able to discover a uniquely satisfying path toward an always evolving future.
Organisations that encourage the pathways of self-directed learners enjoy the fruits of more creative people; the type who solve problems that you’ll face tomorrow, those who seek out new efficiencies in every corner, or are always excited about the next project because it’s a chance to learn new things while bringing their already strong expertise to the workplace.
Ultimately, the self-directed learner is never outdated nor redundant — the self-directed learner puts you ahead of the competition in every way.
Why Create a Culture of Learning?
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” ― Ferris Bueller
John Hughes was onto something when he wrote about Ferris and his day off. Without taking a moment to step back and review their learning culture, many organisations miss the opportunities that learning-centred people would be ready to seize upon.
Don’t instruct: Be an inspirational and gentle guide
As an organisation, learning is not only your foundation but your competitive advantage. Having a learning-centric culture at the core of your strategy exponentially increases your ability to remain efficient in lean times and maintain readiness for the economic spring. Further, it allows organisations to be ever more responsible stewards of the environment in which we all live for the sake of future generations.
The concept of the learning-centric organisation was popularised by Peter Senge’s book, ‘The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization.’ Many other well-respected business books such as Collins’, ‘Good to Great and Built to Last’ and most recently Palmer and Blake’s, ‘The Expertise Economy’ all demonstrate how the smartest organisations use learning to engage, compete, and succeed.
