Learning Agility: Unlock the Lessons of Experience

Learning Agility in Action

It was early 2014, and the Ebola virus was beginning its deadly spread through portions of Western Africa. As the outbreak crept ever closer to Liberia’s crowded capital, Monrovia, Dr. Jerry Brown, medical director of the ELWA hospital, was concerned. What might be the consequences of the outbreak in a city of over four million people, with only a handful of ambulances and no established isolation wards?

Dr. Brown realized that something needed to be done and quickly translated his concerns into action. Without any direct training in the treatment of the virus and no infectious disease experts in the country to reach out to, Dr. Brown and his team went about preparing themselves—not yet knowing the scope of the problem that would eventually come their way.

When the virus reached Monrovia, Dr. Brown and his team immediately found themselves fighting multiple battles. Before the first ambulance arrived, staff were refusing to administer treatment and even resigning. Dr. Brown had to persuade staff and lead by example to help overcome others’ fears and uncertainties. That was just the beginning. Government officials, aid agencies, suppliers, and others all had to be called upon and persuaded to lend their efforts to stemming the crisis.

Furthermore, the virus itself was extremely difficult to contain and treat. The initial small number of cases quickly multiplied into a full-blown outbreak. Instincts and resourcefulness were as much in play as medical knowledge and training. Dr. Brown and his team had to improvise protocols and treatments, and when these approaches didn’t work, they reassessed the situation and tried a new approach.

As weeks passed, ELWA’s patients began showing signs of recovery, and surviving patients were eventually discharged. To win the confidence of the media and the public, Dr. Brown took the bold move of shaking hands with survivors to symbolize that the virus could indeed be overcome. The outbreak was not without its devastating toll, but ELWA eventually discharged 234 patients and, while some medical staff did become ill, they were among the survivors.

Dr. Brown and several others who heroically fought the Ebola outbreak were recognized for their efforts by being named as Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2014. In a video interview with the magazine, Dr. Brown reflected: There’s a lot of things I’ve really learned from this outbreak. One of which is being able to look around yourself and see what you can use that’s available. To find a remedy to the situation [rather] than just sitting and waiting for a remedy from outside. What’s in your power. How you can make use of what’s available.

The story of Dr. Brown and the staff at ELWA is an inspiring account of courage, resilience, and determination to triumph in the face of enormous challenges. It is also a vivid example of the mindset and behaviors that characterize learning agility.

How do they do that?

You know the type. Give them a fresh challenge and somehow, like Dr. Brown and his team, they find a pathway to success. Nothing in particular about their skills or expertise would make them a natural fit to succeed, yet they seem to thrive no matter the circumstances. Stumbles? Setbacks? Not an issue. In fact, they bounce back from failure time after time and often come back better than ever.

It’s a rare and valuable talent. These individuals make a name for themselves as the go-to leaders in situations where the stakes are high, the problems lack clarity, and the solutions aren’t easy to identify, much less execute: