All aboard the Leadership Express!
Station Fourteen: Learning Activation Bay
Welcome to Your Final Stop: The Rise As A Leader Journey Comes to an End!
You have come a long way.
What began as a series of questions has become something powerful, your unique, self-driven path as a leader. Through deep reflection, clarity, and action, you’ve built a vision, defined your identity, and gathered the skills to continue leading with intention and purpose.
Today, we arrived at: Learning Activation Bay– How Will You Learn the Skill You Prioritized?
This is where you take everything you’ve discovered and transform it into daily practice.
But here’s the truth: you don’t need me to keep going.
You’re now equipped with the mindset, tools, and self-awareness to continue this journey on your own. One skill at a time. One step at a time.
I’m saying goodbye for now because I’m off to walk beside a new group of passengers in the Leading With Ease program.
But your train doesn’t stop here.
It just keeps moving forward, driven by you!
What is Your Plan to Learn the Skill You Priortized?
Reflective Questions
Here are some questions to help you reflect deeper.
Small Steps. Big Progress.
This stop is all about turning knowledge into habit. Now it is time to start with one tool at a time.
You will:
- Create your learning plan for the ONE skill you chose
- Use multiple sources (read, watch, listen)
- Organize what you gather in a clear, structured format
- Choose one tool to start practicing now
- Commit to a timeline for building this into a habit
- Submit your plan using the provided template
A tool is a technique, strategy, or method that helps you develop or apply a skill. Tools are how you practice, refine, and reinforce what you’re learning.
Example:
Paraphrasing is a tool that helps you practice intentional listening. By restating what the speaker said in your own words, you confirm understanding and build connection.
Think of your journey like climbing a mountain. You’ve seen the peak, but now you stop to check your backpack.
What’s missing? What tools would make this climb easier?
The better your tools, the more empowered you are.
You’ve chosen the #1 skill you want to work on, now it’s time to turn learning into action.
Simple 9-Step Process:
Step 1 – Set Your Learning Time
Commit to 30 minutes per day (or whatever works best for you). Consistency is more important than intensity.
Step 2 – Open Your LDP- Skill Tracker
Use the same Google Sheet or Excel, open a new tab and label it clearly with a name. You’ll use this to organize and track your journey.
Add these to your columns:
Starting Time | Skill | Definition | Learning Material | Tools | Practice Plan | Timeline | Comments | Complete | Date |
Step 3 – Add the Skill to Track
Start by adding the skill name and the date you begin.
Step 4 – Gather Learning Materials
Collect:
- 10 Articles
- 2 Videos
- 3 Podcasts
Add all links to the Learning Material column in your tracker.
Step 5 – Learn and Summarize
Go through your material one piece at a time. For each, summarize:
- What you learned (in the Definition column)
- Tools/techniques mentioned (add to the Tools column)
Step 6 – Choose One Tool to Practice
Pick one tool that resonates. Add a practice plan and define:
- How you’ll apply it
- When and where you'll use it
- A short timeline for daily or weekly practice
Step 7 – Practice With Purpose
Track your progress in the Comments column. Note what’s working, where you're stuck, or anything you observe.
Step 8 – Make It a Habit
Stick with the tool until it becomes second nature. Then move to the next one.
Step 9 – Repeat & Grow
Once comfortable, repeat the process with a new tool. Then choose your next skill when ready.
To start building your selected skill, you need to gather high-quality content to read, watch, and listen to. Here’s the recommended mix:
- 10 articles to read
- 3 podcasts to listen to
- 2 videos to watch
You have two solid options:
One- Old-school method:
Go to Google and search for:
- Best 10 articles to learn [your skill]
- Top 2 videos on [your skill]
- Top 3 podcasts for [your skill]
Two- Smarter + faster method:
Ask ChatGPT: “Can you share links for 10 top-rated articles, 3 podcasts, and 2 high-engagement videos to help me learn [insert skill]?”
This whole search should take less than 5 minutes.
Open your Learning Tracker (Google Sheet or Excel), and paste the links in the Learning Material column:
Starting Time | Skill | Definition | Learning Material | Tools | Practice Plan | Timeline | Comments | Complete | Date |
- Add one link per cell to stay organized.
- Don’t group them all in one cell, this makes your learning easy to track and digest.
Here’s a simple flow to follow:
- Set your learning time: 30 mins/day
- Gather material (10 articles, 2 videos, 3 podcasts)
- Complete the table
- Select one tool to begin practicing
- Stick to your practice plan
- Track your progress in the template
- Once it becomes a habit, move to the next tool
- Keep practicing and growing
- Submit your plan for review
Mastery comes through consistent, focused effort. This is about creating a learning habit that grows with you.
When you take one tool at a time, practice it until it becomes second nature, and then layer on the next, you are actively building your skillset, one rep at a time.
As we close this chapter, I’d love to hear from you.
[Click here to complete the experience feedback survey]
Your input will help improve this journey for future leaders who will walk a similar path.
Your leadership vision is alive. Now it is up to you to live it!