--- title: Good leaders are always learning and growing description: Good leaders are always learning and growing image: https://donovanleadership.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/The%20image%20depicts%20a%20serene%20office%20space%20illuminated%20by%20soft%20morning%20light%20filtering%20through%20large%20windows%20A%20wooden%20desk%20neatly%20organized%20holds%20a%20stac-1.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/good-leaders-are-always-learning-and-growing-1#main-content) ![cropped-DON_LongRGB01](https://donovanleadership.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cropped-DON_LongRGB01.jpg?width=886&height=247&name=cropped-DON_LongRGB01.jpg) - [Home](https://donovanleadership.com/) - [Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/executive-coaching-transform-your-leadership-style-donovan-leadership) Show submenu for Coaching - [One on One Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/one-on-one-coaching) - [Group Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/group-coaching) - [Blog](https://donovanleadership.com/blog) Show submenu for Blog - [All Posts](https://donovanleadership.com/blog) - [Research](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/research) - [Books](https://donovanleadership.com/books) - [About](https://donovanleadership.com/about) Show submenu for About - [Contact Us](https://donovanleadership.com/contact) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Home](https://donovanleadership.com/) - [Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/executive-coaching-transform-your-leadership-style-donovan-leadership) Show submenu for Coaching - [One on One Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/one-on-one-coaching) - [Group Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/group-coaching) - [Blog](https://donovanleadership.com/blog) Show submenu for Blog - [All Posts](https://donovanleadership.com/blog) - [Research](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/research) - [Books](https://donovanleadership.com/books) - [About](https://donovanleadership.com/about) Show submenu for About - [Contact Us](https://donovanleadership.com/contact) - [Influence Curve Quiz](https://influence-curve.lovable.app/) [Influence Curve Quiz](https://influence-curve.lovable.app/) Feb 20, 2025, 4:00:00 PM # Good leaders are always learning and growing [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://donovanleadership.com/blog/good-leaders-are-always-learning-and-growing-1) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://donovanleadership.com/blog/good-leaders-are-always-learning-and-growing-1) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://donovanleadership.com/blog/good-leaders-are-always-learning-and-growing-1) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://donovanleadership.com/blog/good-leaders-are-always-learning-and-growing-1) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://donovanleadership.com/blog/good-leaders-are-always-learning-and-growing-1) When [Chris Dowling](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-dowling-635a794/) looks back at the managers he has had over 30 years, it amazes him how many of them supported him and believed in him, perhaps more than he believed in himself sometimes. Their influence lives on through their example. One thing he noticed was that good leaders were always learning and growing. They each taught him about important aspects of leadership, including showing him how to bring out the best in people. Now Chris has incorporated these insights into his own style and character, and pays forward what he learned from these influential leaders by supporting people he believes in. Chris has broken down how they did it into several key practices to help him be more effective at supporting up-and-coming leaders. Here are a couple of examples. #### Think big A quietly spoken former manager Chris worked with got big things done. He held people accountable for what they had committed to do and kept track of their progress. He took enormous challenges over the line through building trust with his stakeholders and aligning them on the aim. #### Front and centre The leader who had the biggest influence on the way Chris thinks and operates had innovative ways to deal with challenges and never got frustrated. He pushed things onto Chris, because he told him you need to be front and centre so you can develop. That was a launchpad for many other opportunities for Chris to be front and centre. These leadership practices and many more that Chris learned from influential leaders are outlined in more detail in the new book, which [Dean Phelan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/drphelan/) and I co-authored – [The Gentle Art of Leadership](https://amzn.asia/d/7QIcQDz). The insights we gathered from our interviews with 50+ leaders from around the globe and the original research we drew on, form the basis of the book. Chris Dowling’s leadership reflections show how talented leaders learn from others and develop those around them. His journey illustrates how he has learned something of value from many of the people he has worked with, and how he has sought to practise and pass this learning on to others. 🙋‍♀️ Who taught you the most valuable lessons for your own leadership? 🙋 ## Related posts [![](https://donovanleadership.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Aveek%20Mukherjee.jpeg?height=200&name=Aveek%20Mukherjee.jpeg)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/why-leaders-take-the-pulse-of-the-organisation) [The Gentle Art of Leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/the-gentle-art-of-leadership), [Aveek Mukherjee](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/aveek-mukherjee) ## [Why leaders take the pulse of the organisation](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/why-leaders-take-the-pulse-of-the-organisation) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) Jul 24, 2025, 4:04:00 PM [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/why-leaders-take-the-pulse-of-the-organisation) [![Michael Piacente](https://donovanleadership.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Michael%20Piacente.jpeg?height=200&name=Michael%20Piacente.jpeg)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/leaders-learn-how-to-collaborate-and-seek-help) [The Gentle Art of Leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/the-gentle-art-of-leadership), [CISOs](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/cisos) ## [Leaders learn how to collaborate and seek help](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/leaders-learn-how-to-collaborate-and-seek-help) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) Jul 17, 2025, 5:00:00 PM [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/leaders-learn-how-to-collaborate-and-seek-help) [![](https://donovanleadership.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Tony%20Arnel.jpeg?height=200&name=Tony%20Arnel.jpeg)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/learn-what-makes-people-tick-to-get-the-best-from-them) [influence curve](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/influence-curve), [The Gentle Art of Leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/the-gentle-art-of-leadership) ## [Learn what makes people tick to get the best from them](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/learn-what-makes-people-tick-to-get-the-best-from-them) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) Jul 4, 2025, 7:00:00 AM Tony Arnel believes it is important for leaders of a high-performing organisation to understand not... 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