8 Proven Leadership Behaviours Every Learning Organisation Needs

Leadership is a critical enabler (or barrier) to building learning organisations. Leaders set the tone, shape the culture, and determine whether learning becomes a natural part of daily work or remains a peripheral activity.

While many leaders express support for learning, few understand the specific behaviours required to embed learning into the fabric of the organisation. This is where learning-oriented leadership becomes essential.

In this article, we explore what learning-oriented leadership means and highlight eight research-backed leadership behaviours that HR, L&D, and business leaders can adopt to strengthen learning in their organisations.

What Is Learning-Oriented Leadership?

According to Andreas Wallo and his colleagues, learning-oriented leadership involves managers as leaders facilitating employee learning through direct manager-employee interaction, and indirectly fostering learning through building a learning culture and implementing programmes, systems and structures that are conducive to learning.

Unlike traditional leadership approaches that focus primarily on directing tasks and maintaining control, learning-oriented leadership is centred on developing people through daily interactions and by shaping organisational systems and environments.

This approach to leadership is foundational to the learning organisation concept and is critical for building a sustainable learning culture.

Direct Learning-Oriented Leadership Behaviours

Direct behaviours are expressed through a leader’s daily interactions with individuals and teams. They are relational, visible, and play a significant role in shaping how employees experience learning at work.

1. Provide Support

Leaders who show empathy, offer encouragement, and express belief in their team’s potential create the psychological safety that learning requires. When people feel supported, they are more likely to take risks, ask questions, and learn from mistakes without fear of judgment.

Supportive leaders often act as coaches. They guide employees through challenges, remain accessible, and follow up on their development over time. Their encouragement helps foster the confidence and mindset needed for growth.

2. Educate

Learning-oriented leaders promote critical thinking and reflection by asking thoughtful questions rather than providing immediate answers. They challenge assumptions, encourage exploration, and create space for employees to make sense of their experiences.

Some also use metaphors, stories, or examples to help people connect ideas and reframe challenges. This educational approach empowers employees to become active participants in their own development.

3. Make Demands

Alongside support and education, learning-oriented leaders also set clear expectations. They communicate that continuous learning and improvement are integral to every role, and they challenge their teams through stretch assignments and constructive feedback.

This approach is not about being authoritarian. Rather, it is grounded in a belief that employees are capable of more and deserve to be challenged in ways that support their growth.

4. Lead by Example

One of the most effective ways to encourage learning is to model it. Leaders who are curious, open to feedback, and actively pursuing their own development demonstrate that learning is valued across all levels.

As discussed in our article on learning culture strategies, learning is far more likely to be embraced when it is visibly championed by leaders.

Indirect Learning-Oriented Leadership Behaviours

In addition to their interactions, leaders also influence the broader conditions in which learning occurs. These indirect behaviours help shape the systems, structures, and culture of the organisation.

5. Build a Climate for Learning

A learning-oriented culture is built intentionally. Leaders help create an environment where employees feel safe to speak up, experiment, and learn from both success and failure.

They encourage open dialogue, invite diverse perspectives, and view mistakes as opportunities for growth. This type of climate addresses one of the most persistent barriers to learning in organisations: the fear of failure.

6. Influence Work Organisation

Learning is most effective when integrated into the flow of work. Leaders can influence how roles, teams, and workflows are structured in ways that promote collaboration and learning.

Examples include breaking down silos, encouraging cross-functional work, redesigning roles to include new challenges, or rotating staff across projects to broaden their exposure. These shifts help embed learning in day-to-day operations.

7. Free Up Resources

In many organisations, learning is often deprioritised due to competing demands. Leaders who genuinely value learning make room for it through intentional allocation of time, budget, and focus.

This might involve setting aside protected time for reflection, reducing administrative burdens, or ensuring access to relevant development opportunities.

As noted in our article on barriers to workplace learning, resource support is one of the clearest signals of leadership commitment.

8. Facilitate Knowledge Dissemination

Finally, learning needs to be shared to create a broader impact. Without systems to capture and spread what is learned, insights remain isolated and underutilised.

Learning-oriented leaders create platforms and processes for knowledge sharing. These may include communities of practice, peer-led sessions, post-project reviews, or internal knowledge hubs.

This behaviour transforms individual learning into collective capability, a defining characteristic of a true learning organisation.

Why Learning-Oriented Leadership Matters

The evidence on learning organisations is compelling: they are more innovative, more adaptable, and more likely to retain top talent. However, these benefits do not emerge from training programmes alone. They come from leadership.

When leaders consistently practice these behaviours, learning becomes embedded in how work gets done. It becomes part of the organisation’s identity and a source of long-term advantage.

How to Get Started

There is no need to implement all eight behaviours at once. Begin with one that aligns with your current priorities and expand from there.

Encourage reflection by asking leaders across your organisation:

• How am I currently supporting or limiting learning in my team?

• What small shift could I make to foster learning more intentionally?

If you are ready to explore a more structured approach, try our complimentary Learning Organisation Diagnosis. This practical tool helps organisations assess their learning culture and identify areas for improvement.

At WiP, we partner with forward-thinking companies to build the capacity to learn continuously, collectively, and with purpose.

Interested in transforming your company into a learning organisation?

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