How to Learn from Every Experience

Most leaders I work with are busy. Genuinely, relentlessly busy. And because they are busy, they move fast. From one decision to the next, one meeting to the next, one crisis to the next. There is rarely time to stop and ask the question that would actually make them better: what just happened, and what can I learn from it? This is not a character flaw; in fact it's a systemic problem. Organizations reward action much more than they reward reflection. And so reflection, the thing that turns experience into learning, so often gets squeezed out. For that reason, when working with leaders, I am a strong advocate for both reflection and journaling as practical development tools. One of my favourite tools to help that process is Gibbs Reflective Cycle. Graham Gibbs developed his Reflective Cycle in 1988 as a structured way to slow that process down. It's simple. Six stages: describe what happened, examine what you were thinking and feeling, evaluate what went well and what didn't, analyze what sense you can make of it, conclude what you could have done differently, and plan what you will do next time. It takes less time than most leaders think (less than 5 minutes). And it produces something that moving fast never can: genuine learning from experience rather than just accumulation of it. This is especially true if you get into a consistent practice of doing the reflection as you’ll start to see patterns and signals so subtle that they often go unnoticed. I use it with coaching clients working through 360 feedback. I reference it in my book. And I come back to it constantly in my own practice — because experience without reflection is just time passing. If you lead people and you are not building some kind of reflective practice into your week, you are leaving development on the table. Not because you lack the capability. Because you haven't created the conditions for it. The leaders who grow fastest are not the ones who have the most experiences. They are the ones who learn the most from the experiences they have. #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #reflection #coachingtools #executivecoaching

In school, we’re taught that failure is something to avoid at all costs. But failure is actually required to reach your long term goals. Here are 5 ways failure helped me reach mine: 1. Building A Music Blog In 2011, I started a music blog. It never got more than 200 total visits. I eventually shut it down. But it taught me how to set up my own website and the basics of internet marketing, which allowed me to start Cultivated Culture without any funding. 2. Building A Social App In 2014, I had an idea for an app. I spent dozens of hours mocking it up and $1,000+ on prototype. Two weeks later, two other companies launched identical apps with venture funding. But it taught me the basics of developing a piece of software, and allowed me to build our current suite of job search tools. 3. Freelancing I wanted to change industries, so I freelanced to gain experience. I didn’t get any clients from the first 1,000+ emails I sent. But it taught me that “sales” and outreach are volume games, as well as giving me data that I eventually used to optimize, get clients, and leverage in my networking efforts to land referrals. 4. LinkedIn (Take 1) I shared my first piece of LinkedIn content in 2016. I did it for about two weeks before feeling dejected that I wasn’t getting any reactions or views. That eventually led to the realization that, if I wanted to grow, I needed to focus on creating content instead of outcomes at the beginning. 5. LinkedIn (Take 2) About six months later, I starting sharing LinkedIn content again. This time, I kept it up for a month before running out of ideas. I had to stop again, but it eventually taught me that creating content is about building a repeatable system vs. just writing when inspiration strikes. 6. The Outcomes Of Failing Every one of these failures taught me lessons that I eventually leveraged successfully down the road. I was able to start my own business and bootstrap it without needing funding or paid ads because of everything I’d learned from past mistakes and failed ventures. Every one of those experiences is a lesson, if you’re open to seeing it.

Your “messy” resume isn't a weakness. It's your competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving market. 🔥 It's why two people can enter the same industry… And one becomes unforgettable while the other blends in. ✔️ The designer who also understands sales psychology ✔️ The engineer who can tell a story on camera ✔️ The marketer who knows how to code Each skill alone? Common. Combined? Unstoppable. Looking back, none of my experiences were random. Each one taught me essential skills I needed to learn in order to get where I am today: 📚 Childhood Bookseller → I learned how to hustle and handle rejection at an early age 🎤 Aspiring Singer → I learned that I wanted to use my voice in my career 🎙️ Intern at Hot97 → I learned audio production and honed my interview skills  💻 Founder of Sorority of Hip Hop → I learned how to lead and run a team. 💼 Corporate Marketer → I learned marketing strategy and how to galvanize others.  🎧 Podcast Host → I learned how to build a personal brand, grow an audience and podcast monetization! Now? I'm the CEO of an 8-figure media company leading a team of 60+, host of a top 10 entrepreneurship podcast AND founder of the #1 self-improvement podcast network. Every "random" experience built toward this. It's called SKILL STACKING. 🔥 Here's how to find YOUR unique stack: 1️⃣ List every job, side project, and random skill you've picked up, even the "embarrassing" ones 2️⃣ Next to each, write the ONE core skill it taught you 3️⃣ Look for the thread - what do they have in common? 4️⃣ Ask yourself: How can I combine these into an offer only I can make? You don't need to be the best at any single thing. You just need to be the ONLY one with your unique combination.

I used to think experience came from just doing the work. Years in the role, projects shipped, meetings attended. But over time, I realized: there’s no real experience without reflection. It’s not just what you did — it’s what you learned from it. After every project, incident, 1:1, or decision — pause. Ask: What did I learn? What would I do differently next time? What did this reveal about people, systems, and how things really work? The people who grow fastest aren’t just doing more — they’re thinking deeper.

I've noticed over the years that the people I admire—the ones I consider effective and empathetic leaders—do something not everyone does... They reflect. 🪞 Not just at year-end (though that's important too). Regularly. After projects. After difficult situations. After wins. They ask: What worked? What didn't? What would I do differently next time? This is how experience becomes wisdom. Without reflection, we repeat the same patterns—good and bad—without really learning from them. So now, I try to build reflection into everything I do: 📝 After facilitating a training, I debrief with myself (and sometimes my team): What landed? What fell flat? What surprised me? 📝 After a tough conversation, I think about: How did I show up? What could I have done better? What worked well? 📝 After completing a project, I ask: What did we learn? What processes should we keep? What should we change? And it doesn't have to take long—even 5-10 minutes of journaling helps! Set a timer. ⏲️ This is part of what makes adult learning so powerful—we learn best when we integrate experiences with reflection. So here are some reflection questions for YOU: 🤔 What's one thing you're proud of recently? 🤔 What's one thing you'd do differently if you could? 🤔 What's one lesson you're taking into the next chapter (whatever that is for you)? Growth isn't just about doing more. It's about learning from what you've already done. 💡 ➡️ What's one thing you've learned recently (about yourself, leadership, work, life)? Or a question you ask yourself when reflecting? Share in the comments—I want to hear about it! #reflection #yearend #growthmindset #leadershipdevelopment #adultlearning

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 As we come to the end of the year, we're seeing a lot of "My Year in Review" type posts, and that made me think about the power of Reflection. As I was sharing with my friend Alex Law the other day: 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵. Today... Information is abundant. We are busy collecting experiences. Anybody can sound smart and give you advice. But we don't grow as quickly. Why? Because 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀. Some people go through 100 experiences, but never pause to ask what they've learnt. They didn’t grow 100 times. They've repeated the same experience 100 times. Now imagine if you go through just 10 experiences, but after each one, you reflect, extract insight, and improve by just 𝟭𝟬%. And something magical happens! By the 10th experience, you’ve become 𝟮.𝟯𝟲𝘅 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, not because you worked harder, but because you 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. Reflection is not passive. It's: • 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – thinking about how you think • A 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 – testing assumptions and listening to feedback • The shift from being the 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁 • The courage to 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘀 instead of defending identity It's also how people turn painful experiences into passion and purpose. ➡️ Without reflection, 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨. ➡️ With reflection, 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴. In a world where execution is automated by AI, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲. And reflection is what makes learning compound. We should stop glorifying "years of experience" on resumes, but instead ask the sharper question "𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴?" To help you in reflecting better, here are some reflection questions I've found useful: 1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀 • What was I trying to do? • What went well? What didn't? And why? • What assumptions proved wrong? • What will I try differently next time? • What support would help me improve faster? 2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀 • Why is this important to me? • What system or process produced this outcome? • What is the real bottleneck holding me back? • Is this a one-off, or a recurring pattern? • What needs redesigning so this doesn’t repeat? 3️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀 • What evidence would change my mind? • How do I know I’m right, really? • Am I learning or defending an identity? How are you Reflecting on Your Year? #WholeHearted

You didn’t fail. You just collected data. But all you feel is guilt. You quit that job within 6 months. You stopped that side project after 2 weeks. You dropped out of that course halfway. And now, it feels like all of it was a waste of time. But here’s what no one tells you: • That job taught you what kind of boss you’ll never work for again. • That project showed you your real strengths. • That course helped you realise what you don’t want. I’ve done all sorts of things since I graduated. Jobs that made no sense on paper. And every time, someone said, “You should be more focused.” But those odd jobs shaped my skills, my decisions. The truth is: Not everything you learn has to lead to success. Sometimes it just helps you make a smarter move next time. 1/ Revisit the lesson, not the loss. → You didn’t waste time — you just paid in time instead of money. → Write down 3 things you’ll do differently next time. 2/ Stop using a timeline as your success metric. → Some people get there in 2 years. Others in 12. → Ask: “Am I moving in the right direction?” Not “Am I moving fast enough?” 3/ Focus on skills, not titles. → Every gig teaches you how to deal with people, stress, systems. → List 3 micro-skills you picked up from a past role. Remember: You’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience. P.S. What’s one thing you learned from something that didn’t work out? — Image Credit: Cristina Grancea — ♻️ Repost to help your network reframe their failures. ➕ Follow me (Akansha Bagchi) for more like this.

They say experience is a great teacher. How do you leverage it? I rely heavily on experiential learning as a customer service trainer. Customer service reps have valuable experience from... * Serving customers * Being customers * Interacting with other humans The trick is optimizing what you learn from experiences. David Kolb created a four-step experiential process that anyone can use. 1. Experiencing: doing something. 2. Reflecting: evaluate how it went. 3. Thinking: decide how to adjust. 4. Acting: trying something new. My Customer Service Tip of the Week emails are built around this model. 1. Experience Each tip starts with a relatable story or example. For instance, I went to REI to buy hiking poles for my wife and a knowledgeable sales person used her expertise to help me make the right decision. 2. Reflecting The tip asks you to think about how the tip applies to you. The expertise tip suggested making a list of the top ten product questions customers ask. 3. Thinking Think about how you can use the tip when serving your customers. The expertise tip suggested coming up with extra helpful answers to each of the top ten questions. 4. Acting Apply the tip right away with the customers you serve. This process is self-reinforcing. Trying a new approach leads to a new experience. You can then repeat the steps and continue learning. I bet you already do this! What is one customer service skill you learned from experience?

Experience alone doesn’t teach. Reflection is what makes it useful. John Dewey said it best:  “We do not learn from experience...  we learn from reflecting on experience.” Harvard research confirmed it. Those who reflected daily improved performance by 𝟮𝟮.𝟴%, even while working fewer hours. When reflection is missing, we:  → Repeat the same decisions  → Miss early signs of friction  → React instead of adjusting  → Lose sight of what’s working 💡 Use the ERA Model to build reflection into work: 1️⃣ EXPERIENCE – What actually happened?  → Note one win and one blocker this week → Bring one real example into your next 1:1 2️⃣ REFLECTION – Why did it happen that way? → Ask: What helped things go well?  → Or: What slowed things down and why? 3️⃣ ACTION – What will I try differently? → “Next time, I’ll clarify the ask upfront” → “I’ll raise the concern before it drags on” Reflection isn’t extra work.  It’s how you stop wasting effort. What makes reflection hard for you to practice? ♻️ Repost to help your team grow with insight 🔔 Follow Justin Hills for practical growth strategies