The What, Why And How Of Learning

In his book, Education is Freedom, author James W. Keyes recaps his learned business lessons for top management and CEOs at companies of all sizes. He covers:

• Discovering what customers truly care about. It’s convenience, not products.
• Leading during times of turmoil.
• Developing the confidence to try again after a failure, and to maintain composure in the face of critical media coverage.
• Forming strategic collaborations to rescue a dying company.

Plus, Keyes states that Education Is Freedom provides the “what,” “why,” and “how” of learning. He outlines the importance of education for all humankind and the power of education to change our world.

Because of his lifelong commitment to education, Keyes founded the Education is Freedom Foundation, which provides college scholarships for hard-working young students. In over 20 years since its inception, the foundation has helped nearly hundreds of thousands of students find their path to higher education. 

Keyes also served as chairman and chief executive officer of Blockbuster, Inc., from 2007 to 2011. And in his book, he shares much about his time at Blockbuster and that company’s journey, including this important insight in response to my question to him:

Question: Fair or not, “Don’t become another Blockbuster” is often a phrase used to warn business leaders to not let their business become obsolete or to not miss an opportunity to change their business model. What do you want business leaders to know about why that phrase may be unfair or why Blockbuster’s journey is misunderstood? 

Keyes: Fair…but for all of the wrong reasons. Most people leap to the conclusion that Netflix killed Blockbuster…or that the company’s inability to change caused its demise. Both are incorrect. Within the Blockbuster story is a rich set of lessons for every businessperson but it has nothing to do with the change to streaming technology.   

The real story of Blockbuster is a story of the importance of cash flow and balance sheet management during times of macro financial disruption.  

“You’ll find...in Education is Freedom...personal anecdotes from my own journey, and the experiences of friends and those throughout history who have successfully used education to change their own life and to enrich the lives of others,” shares Keyes.

“The book is not a memoir, but instead intended to provide examples from my life journey to show what is possible even with seemingly impossible odds. It is intended to inspire others to accomplish the impossible and to use education as their path to freedom.” 

Keyes calls his “C-Suite Learning” as the heart of his book and a valuable road map to help readers form a path to his/her own learning journey. The C-Suite Learning is: 

What to Learn

• Change: embracing change and growing from adversity.
• Confidence: the inner strength that makes us believe in ourselves.
• Clarity: making the complex simple through communication. 

How to Learn

• Critical Thinking: the algebra of thought.
• Curiosity: discovering the joy of wonder.
• Creativity: enabling our inner child; this is intelligence at play. 

Why We Learn

• Collaboration: leveraging the power of others working together.
• Cultural Literacy: growing from the richness of diversity around us.
• Character: establishing trust in ourselves and integrity among all. 

One of the key takeaways from the book for me is where Keyes explains that companies must find ways to have everyone embrace open and honest communication. He states that building a culture of success also requires: 

• Engagement – Team members must be in or out. Even those on the sidelines for any given play must be engaged, at least mentally if not physically. The team must be fully vested in collective success. 
• Communication – from the top, from the bottom, and from peer to peer—is fundamental to the collective success of the team. Team members must feel comfortable communicating openly. They must feel safe expressing their ideas and trusting each other to fulfill their respective roles. 

“Information sharing and the proactive dissemination of knowledge among the team will contribute to the culture of mutual benefit. This environment will reward competency and the open sharing of best practices. These behaviors result in a culture that those on the outside can see and feel. They will notice a group, a company, and a team, that can accomplish any task,” explains Keyes. 

Thank you to the book’s publisher for sending me an advance copy of the book.