You Reap More Than You Sow – Reaping from the investment in development
Learning is an investment…that pays big returns.
It is sometimes difficult to sell investment in L&D because the ROI is often measured in “blue money,” rather than “green money.” Many “seeds” do not bring a return…but the seeds that do bring a return, give a large return. And learning is always a valuable thing….
Steve Jobs gave a commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005. One of his key points was “Connecting the dots.” The story he told was of how he “just did stuff that was interesting,” and later, when he looked back on his life, he could see how those came together to put him in the place where he was.
Another example is Richard Feynman. Feynman made it a point to learn in many widely different areas, such as painting composition and particle physics, music and quantum mechanics. Many of his contributions (including those that won him the Nobel Prize) were the result of connecting very different ideas.
The number 1 most important factor CEOs and world-famous leaders mention as a part of the source of their success is “learning.” They are all avid readers and learners. In fact, one of the core characteristics of leaders has been defined as “life-time learners.”
The value of learning is that it can pay off many, many years later.
During a recent training session with Financial Planning & Analysis professionals, we explored how to effectively communicate insurance risk in a merger and acquisition (M&A) process. Someone asked me, “Where did you learn all of this?”
It came from years of hands-on experience. Working with start-up teams across Central and Eastern Europe, contributing to IT operations at a global printing company, and managing logistics within a major packaging manufacturer. It was knowledge built gradually, through real challenges and real consequences.
Over the years, I’ve learned how to engage in meaningful conversations with business and industry leaders. I understand the bigger picture geopolitics, corporate strategy, and organizational development while also recognizing the everyday challenges professionals face inside organizations.
There are many moving parts and navigating them isn’t easy. Having experienced this myself, I bring empathy into my work and training.
I’ve managed teams, built organizations, and worked closely with employees and clients. My advice comes partly from hands-on experience and partly from the insights and lessons shared by others. And these were things I learned.
My sister started as a legal secretary at a large U.S. law firm. Within weeks, she was assigned to a “baby lawyer” just beginning her career. Together, they learned about clients, the legal system in the energy industry, and, most importantly, about people: how they think and what matters to them
Over time, they became one of the firm’s “power teams.” That young lawyer rose to senior partner in record time the fastest in the firm’s history. Their success was driven by a shared curiosity and relentless learning.
They didn’t just focus on work. They explored everything: industry knowledge, law, clients, but also music, art, and languages. Each of them read 30–50 books a year, on top of the hundreds of pages they handled weekly at work.
So, if I can encourage to you do anything, “Learn!” Learn about things that interest you and things that don’t interest you. Learn about things related to work and things related to life. Read business books and “literature”. Listen to audio books and music (all kinds of music). Learn. Above all, learn about people! The return on that investment is greater than you can imagine.
Written by John Held