Sir Clive Woodward, the former England Rugby coach, once described people as two types: rocks and sponges.
“If you are a sponge, you have a thirst for knowledge, you have a passion about what you do and want to learn more … a rock on the other hand is unteachable and a bit of a know-it-all.”
It’s a simple idea, but a profound one – which is perhaps why it’s stayed with me, especially through my experiences coaching teams and leaders. Rocks repel learning; sponges absorb it. And in any team, sporting or otherwise, even one rock can vastly reduce your chances of winning.
This distinction captures the essence of what it means to create a learning culture. The best organizations don’t just run training programs; they nurture sponge-like environments – open, honest, curious, reflective, and constantly evolving.
Here are a set of mindsets and practices that together create a culture where learning becomes the way you work and operate, not a one-off event. These aren’t steps to follow in order – see them as interlocking layers.
#1 Learning as a Strategic Advantage
Strategic thinking doesn’t start with a plan, it starts with how you learn. To lead strategically you must turn learning from a background activity into a deliberate, consistent habit. When you make learning intentional, you build the foundation for every other aspect of strategy: sharper awareness, better decisions, faster adaption.
I often remind teams and leaders: learning is not a bolt-on activity; it’s a strategic capability. The ability to learn faster and apply that learning more effectively than competitors is one of the few sustainable sources of advantage left.
#2 From Curiosity Comes Strategy
Curiosity is the engine of learning – and of strategy. Good strategic thinkers aren’t simply analytical; they’re deeply curious. They ask, “What might I be missing?” rather than “How do I prove I’m right?”
Teams flourish when leaders model curiosity. When you openly share what you’re learning, you signal that it’s safe for others to explore and question. One of the simplest exercises I encourage people to do is to jot down one thing they were curious about and one thing they learned each day for two to four weeks. It sounds incredibly basic, but curiosity compounds quickly.
Learning is a continuous activity. Strategic learning is about staying relevant, not being right. That single shift, from certainty to relevance, transforms both leaders and cultures.
#3 From Training to True Learning
Too often, organizations confuse training with learning. Training transfers information; learning changes capability.
Author Nick Shackleton-Jones describes the difference as “content dump versus emotional connection.” People don’t remember content; they remember moments that moved them.
That’s why immersive, experiential learning works best. Inviting leaders to experience their own organization through the eyes of their customers – or even their competitors – can transform insight. These are the kinds of learning experiences that stick, because they connect both head and heart.
#4 The Growth Mindset Multiplied
Carol Dweck’s research on fixed versus growth mindsets is essential reading for any L&D professional. But there’s a nuance often missed: mindset isn’t fixed to a person; it’s contextual.
Someone may have a growth mindset about coding or playing tennis, yet have a fixed one about public speaking or … dancing! As leaders, our role is to help people see where those differences exist and support them to shift.
Learning cultures thrive on what is often described as ‘psychological safety,’ i.e., the belief that you can ask, experiment, and fail without fear of consequence. In one organization I worked with recently, we reframed FAIL as ‘First Attempt In Learning’. Mistakes became learning assets rather than performance risks.
That’s how you multiply the growth mindset across a team – by making learning visible, social, and safe.
#5 Building a Sponge Culture: Five Everyday Practices
Creating a culture of learning doesn’t require a new system or budget. It starts with everyday behaviors and leadership signals. Here are five practical ways to make learning the heartbeat of your team:
- Normalize learning conversations: replace “What went wrong?” with “What did we learn?” Conduct quick, reflective debriefs, especially when things go right.
- Ask for advice, not feedback: forward-looking questions (“What would you try next time?”) encourage reflection and reduce defensiveness.
- Reward curiosity, not certainty: recognize those who ask great questions or test new approaches, not just those who meet KPIs.
- Model reflection: Share your own lessons – a mistake, a book, a client insight – and what it changed in your thinking. Vulnerability drives permission.
- Make learning social: pair people with contrasting perspectives as ‘learning partners’. Diverse exchanges generate creative friction and insight.
These small shifts reinforce what I call the learning loop: awareness → experimentation → reflection → application → awareness (again).
#6 Culture Eats Content for Breakfast
A true learning culture isn’t built by uploading more courses to your LMS. It’s built through daily conversations, rituals, and cues that show learning matters here.
If people see that curiosity is celebrated and mistakes are mined for insight, they’ll keep learning. If they sense defensiveness or blame, they’ll stop.
Satya Nadella’s transformation of Microsoft captured this perfectly. He shifted the company’s ethos from “know-it-alls” to “learn-it-alls.” That single mindset change unlocked innovation, empathy, and collaboration across tens of thousands of employees – and billions in new value.
#7 From Learners to Strategists
The most strategic leaders are lifelong learners, not because they attend more courses, but because they stay open, observant, and humble enough to keep soaking things up. They’re coachable.
If you want your organization to be more strategic, start by helping your people be more curious.
If you want them to be more curious, help them feel safe to learn.
And if you want them to feel safe to learn, lead by example. Show that you, too, are still learning.
Because the real difference between a sponge and a rock isn’t what they know; it’s what they’re willing to soak up next.