Spontaneously, strategically, directly and indirectly – leaders have a wide range of tools at their disposal to support learning in day-to-day work

Learning at work is both an everyday experience and a subject of academic research, but what exactly lies behind it? Learning and the support of learning in the workplace naturally affect all employee groups, but in an article published last summer we focus on the leadership point of view. In our article How Can Learning Be Supported at Work? Systematic Review of the Strategic and Emergent Practices of Learning Supportive Leadership we explored how leadership supports learning at work. Through a systematic review of 38 studies, we sought to synthesize existing knowledge about leadership practices associated with learning at work.

The study addresses a gap in the literature by moving beyond broad claims such as “leadership matters for learning” and instead examining concrete methods of leading learning. Contemporary work environments are increasingly characterized by change, complexity, digitalization, and continuous demands for adaptation. These developments require employees to engage in ongoing learning throughout their careers. While formal training remains important, a large proportion of work-related learning takes place informally through daily work activities, interactions with colleagues, problem-solving situations, and workplace experiences. As a result, organizations have become increasingly interested in understanding how learning occurs at work and how it can be supported. Leadership has consistently been identified as one of the most important factors influencing learning, yet previous research had not sufficiently integrated knowledge about concrete leadership practices that facilitate learning.

In the various approaches to work-related learning, such as organizational learning, learning organizations, and workplace learning, learning is viewed not only as an individual process involving changes in knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior but also as a collective and social phenomenon that occurs through interaction and shared experiences. Leadership, similarly, is understood as a relational and interactive process rather than merely the actions of an individual leader. The study therefore approaches leadership as something that emerges through interactions, relationships, and organizational practices.

Strategic and emergent leadership practices

In our analysis of the previous literature, we identified recurring examples of how leadership supported learning. These practices were grouped into two categories: strategic leadership practices and emergent leadership practices. Additionally, the analysis revealed two underlying dimensions that were present across both categories: interaction between leaders and employees and leadership support for the workplace environment. Together, these dimensions form the foundation through which leadership is connected to learning at work.

Strategic leadership practices refer to structured and intentional actions that are connected to organizational goals, formal systems, and established patterns of work. These practices align learning with organizational objectives and support learning through explicit planning and coordination. The review identified several strategic practices, including the development and communication of organizational visions and goals, the use of meetings to facilitate knowledge sharing and problem-solving, the provision of feedback, structured opportunities for reflection, task management, monitoring of learning processes, and recruitment activities that support learning-oriented cultures. These practices emphasize planned approaches through which organizations connect learning with strategy, performance, and development.

A central feature of strategic practices is their emphasis on alignment. Learning is not treated as an isolated activity but as a mechanism that contributes to organizational renewal and strategic objectives. Through structured meetings, performance discussions, feedback processes, and reflection activities, leaders can create opportunities for employees to make sense of experiences, share knowledge, and connect learning to broader organizational purposes.

The second category, emergent leadership practices, captures less formal and less structured ways in which learning is supported. These practices arise in everyday work situations and are embedded in routine interactions. Emergent practices identified in the review include supporting individual skill development, enhancing teamwork, embedding learning within daily work practices, engaging in continuous evaluation, facilitating learning, and serving as a role model for learning. Unlike strategic practices, which are planned and aligned with organizational structures, emergent practices evolve through everyday experiences and interactions.

The previous research utilized in the study emphasize that learning and work are fundamentally intertwined. Learning does not occur separately from work but is integrated into everyday activities, conversations, challenges, and collaborative efforts. Teams play a particularly important role because learning is often social and collective in nature. Through teamwork, knowledge sharing, peer support, and collaborative reflection, employees are able to learn from one another and develop new understandings that extend beyond individual experience. Leaders contribute to this process by facilitating interaction and creating conditions that enable collective learning.

Direct and indirect leadership

One particularly important finding of the study also concerns the dual role of interaction and environmental support. Across both strategic and emergent practices, leadership is connected to learning through direct and indirect mechanisms. Directly, leaders interact with employees through feedback, coaching, reflection, meetings, and discussions. Furthermore, however, they also guide learning indirectly by shaping the learning environment through their influence on the culture, atmosphere, resources, structures and opportunities for collaboration.

The findings relate to broader theories of learning-oriented leadership and organisational learning. The findings support previous distinctions between direct leadership behaviors, which influence employees, and indirect leadership behaviors, which shapes workplace conditions.

This text is based on the publication: Jaakkola, M., Lemmetty, S., & Collin, K. (2026). How Can Learning Be Supported at Work? Systematic Review of the Strategic and Emergent Practices of Learning Supportive Leadership. International Journal of Training and Development. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.70036

Marianne Jaakkola, Doctoral student