From Culture to Competitive Advantage: The Case for a Learning Philosophy.

What is a Learning Philosophy?

As L&D leaders, we're not just creating training programs.  We're also responsible for shaping the learning culture at our brands and ensuring that development efforts align with strategic goals. This is where a clear learning philosophy comes in—it simplifies and amplifies our impact.

While a learning statement formally declares the brand's learning and development approach (i.e., "Everyone is responsible for driving their development journey."), a learning philosophy is a set of core beliefs and principles that guide how learning is embedded into the organization's culture and aligned with its broader business objectives. It influences everything: training programs, content delivery, employee engagement and more.

Yet a learning philosophy can also be a meaningful component of scaling and sustaining business growth.  This explicit statement of how learning is valued through a brand lens is designed to provide clarity, foster alignment, and protect brand culture.  Especially during rapid growth spurts, a clear learning philosophy ensures that development isn't just an afterthought — it's a competitive advantage.

Shaping Culture Through Learning

At On, our S.P.A.R.K. Philosophy was designed to unify the broader L&D community and protect the brand's culture as we scale.  It's a framework based on 5 guardrails ensuring learning experiences resonate with On's values and business goals while respecting personal agency and how adults learn.  When teams encounter challenges creating within these guardrails, S.P.A.R.K. encourages thoughtful reflection, reinforcing a learning culture that respects diversity and nurtures free-thinking entrepreneurs (or “Explorers").

Other companies like Google and Patagonia have also shown how a learning philosophy can fuel strategic goals and protect culture. 

• Google's G2G program exemplifies one pillar of its philosophy, "Learning Is Social." By leveraging peer-to-peer training, Googlers upskill one another, reportedly driving upwards of 80% of the company's learning initiatives.  A peer-led "Intro to Programming" course empowers non-engineers to develop their coding skills, potentially enabling career transitions into technical roles.  This supports individual development and Google's strategic goals by building a more adaptable, innovation-ready workforce (**companies exploring a skills-based approach could learn from G2G's success in fostering internal mobility and preparing employees for future business needs).

• Patagonia weaves learning into its environmental mission, focusing on sustainability and ethical innovation. This alignment not only strengthens customer loyalty and boosts its market share in eco-conscious fashion but also drives higher employee engagement and retention. By embedding shared ecological goals into its learning culture, Patagonia creates a deeper connection between its people and its purpose.

Have I sold you on the idea yet?  “But wait! Wait! There's more!"  These examples highlight the versatility of learning philosophies in shaping outcomes specific to an organization's mission. But how does this translate to the everyday challenges of scaling? That’s where a learning philosophy becomes indispensable — providing structure, alignment and intentionality as organizations grow.   A solid learning philosophy can help safeguard organizational culture as a brand scales.

Scaling with Intention: Protecting Culture Through Learning

1.  Aligning the Learning Culture

At any organization, nearly everyone is involved in L&D, intentionally or not.  Managers create onboarding decks for their departments.  Vendors deliver leadership upskilling.  Interns may host office tours.  EVERYONE is a potential trainer.  Like company culture, when learning culture isn't explicitly articulated, the fastest, strongest, or loudest voices often shape it.  

A learning philosophy provides clarity and ensures that learning aligns with our organization's values, ensuring everyone is on the same page.  No more off-brand content or misaligned messaging across regions or departments.  It creates a shared understanding of the purpose, approach, and priority of learning—not just for L&D but across teams and even with external partners and vendors.  By defining a framework, we prevent learning culture from forming by chance or in isolated silos.

2.  Anchoring Our Learning Offerings to a Timeless POV

Learning trends come and go.  Popular organizational books and frameworks (i.e., the Radical Candors, the Good To Greats) can inspire meaningful initiatives. Yet their influence can wane, replaced by the next big idea or reworked concepts from the same authors.  A clear learning philosophy anchors learning in the brand's unique point of view — foremost — ensuring continuity and showing how new or expanded ideas build upon established principles rather than replacing them with the next shiny object.

3. Holding L&D Communities Accountable to a North Star

A solid learning philosophy isn't just about steering content creation. It's about ensuring that every initiative we build aligns with the culture we're working to create. It's a North Star and a framework to measure impact over time and ensure our efforts make a meaningful difference. It elevates L&D beyond a content factory into an essential strategic function that drives business outcomes.

Shaping Your Learning Philosophy

So, what's your organization's learning philosophy? If you don't have one yet, it's worth starting the conversation.  Not sure where to begin?  Start by reflecting on your brand's unique culture and goals.  You don't need to overhaul everything already built.  Instead, think of it as setting the foundation for how learning experiences will align as you move forward.

Remember, every company has a learning culture — intentional or not.  The question is: do you want yours shaped by strategy or by chance?  We have frameworks for so many other aspects of our businesses — from product development to customer service — why not also prioritize articulating how we value learning and offer some guardrails on how to shape it?

One final thought:  A strong learning philosophy can transform an organization, but only with leadership buy-in. Without it, even the most thoughtful philosophy risks being sidelined.  I've been there.  Some leaders may resist the idea of yet another "philosophy" to juggle.  Others may not immediately see the value or lack the vision to see its full potential — including within your own People Team.  As L&D leaders, it’s our responsibility to bridge that gap. 

When leadership champions a learning philosophy, it evolves from an internal framework into a strategic asset that drives business priorities.  And when L&D teams can show how their approach shapes business culture — by defining how learning becomes a strategic edge — then suddenly, you're not just running programs.  You're shaping the future.

**Note: I’ll be speaking on this topic at Offbeat Fest 2025 in London, June 9-10 — hope to see you there!