This Panel addressed the intersectionality between leading and learning. With the rise of leadership graduate programs and professional leadership training opportunities, emphasis on learning ​how​ to effectively lead often overshadows the importance of learning ​from​ those we lead. Indeed, a quick search reveals much research on lessons to be learned from notable leaders and the skills and competencies necessary for effective leadership, but a paucity of research into the lessons leaders learn from those they lead.

Advocating for a reciprocal learning relationship between leaders and followers, we contend that leaders who actively learn from followers gain insights that in turn make them better leaders. In this way, whether formal or informal leaders, a mindset of continual learning positions leaders to better contribute to their organizations and communities. This panel presented three self-reflective leadership vignettes, each vignette addressing how learning equips us to lead and how leading opens doors for further learning. The leadership vignettes will highlight leadership within academia, the nonprofit sector, and local government. Following presentation of the vignettes, participants discussed the following: 1) In what ways do learning and leading flow into and support the development of each other? 2) What can we learn about ethical leadership from those we lead? and 3) How does continual learning while leading affect a leader’s ability to remain committed to their own or the organization’s core values?