Smart Growth

One of the 50 leading business thinkers in the world – named number eight in 2021 by Thinkers50 – Whitney Johnson divides learning into six stages, each bringing its own challenges and rewards. Sharing dozens of stories from people who have gained new skills, boosted their careers and helped others learn, she reminds readers that without growth, the brain stagnates – and that learning should count among everyone’s inalienable rights. Johnson’s best-selling book has garnered praise from leading adult learning experts including Stephen Covey, Kim Scott and Rita McGrath.

Attend to Your Own Learning First

Johnson makes the case that a leader’s primary role is to help people grow. For a company to keep learning and growing, after all, its people must do the same. When people stop learning, warns Johnson, they stagnate, becoming disengaged and bored.