Learning agility: A construct whose time has come.

Abstract

A significant consequence of today’s dynamic, complex, and uncertain business environments is that leadership skills are subject to continual obsolescence and displacement. To be effective, leaders must demonstrate the flexibility and agility to adapt their behaviors as situations change. The willingness and capability to learn from experience and subsequently to apply that learning to perform successfully under new or first-time conditions becomes one of the most critical success factors for managers and executives. This article introduces and defines the concept of learning agility, reviews and discusses its theoretical and empirical background, and presents selected research findings related to the assessment of learning agility. Several areas for future research are also identified.