The Unexpected Intersection: Elementary Teaching and Leadership

What can elementary teaching possibly have to do with corporate leadership? As unexpected as it may initially seem, it’s this intriguing intersection that has defined my 15-year journey in learning and development. 

Early in my career, I stood before a group of bright-eyed second-graders, captivated by their curiosity and simple joy in discovery. Meanwhile, years later, as a learning and development leader, I found myself in and out of conference rooms, strategically planning next-step scenarios and leading teams into unknown territories. 

Could these two worlds appear more different? While contrasting at first glance, their intersections became glaringly apparent as I delved deeper into my leadership journey.

The common thread? Learning — the all-encompassing, never-ending process that has the power to transform both a second-grade classroom and a non-profit organization.

As both an educator and an L&D leader, I’ve learned that fostering an environment conducive to learning is key. The environment that enables a second-grader to master multiplication is not so different from the one that allows a team to excel in executing a new business strategy. 

The principles are the same: encourage curiosity, build trust, promote collaboration, and create a safe space for risk-taking.

In a Harvard Business Review article, Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman gathered data from over 30,000 leaders, concluding that the best leaders were also the most curious. They found a significant correlation between leaders who demonstrated curiosity and those who were rated highest in their overall leadership effectiveness. Why? Curiosity leads to continuous learning, and continuous learning leads to continuous improvement, both at an individual and organizational level.

How can we better fuse the worlds of education and corporate leadership? Here are three actionable strategies inspired by my experience in both arenas:

1. Facilitate a Learning Culture: Isn’t that what a classroom is all about? The same goes for the boardroom. Encourage open dialogues, experimentation, and continual learning—I promise, it will lead to innovations, increased engagement, and improved performance.

2. Promote Psychological Safety: Just as children need to feel safe to ask questions and make mistakes, so do your employees. Google’s Aristotle study concluded that psychological safety was the number one factor present in successful, high-performing teams.

3. Foster Emotional Intelligence: Understand the emotional dynamics of your team— empathy, humility, and responsiveness are not just components of successful classroom management, but integral to leading successful adult teams as well.

Learning is not confined to school walls, nor is it an activity that ceases once we step into professional life. Whether in the classroom or in the office, we are perpetual students navigating our way through unchartered territories. As leaders, we have an obligation to foster environments where learning is welcomed, mistakes are embraced, and growth is celebrated. 

Reflect: Are you fostering a learning culture within your team or organization? If not, what's stopping you? And most importantly, what steps can you take to bridge the gap between learning and leadership in your own context?