BHP

Michelle Gibson

Continuous Learning Champion

What Nine Industries Taught Me about Leadership

I’ve been fortunate to work across more than nine industries throughout my career, and each one has taught me something different about people, learning and leadership. What has stayed consistent is that people learn best when they can see how learning connects to their everyday work and when they feel supported to grow and learn

Those experiences have shown me that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Whether you're working in mining, logistics or another industry, learning needs to be practical, relevant and grounded in the realities of the job. They’ve also reinforced my belief that great leadership development is less about theory and more about helping people build confidence, make sound decisions and bring out the best in others.

Inclusion Begins with How We Design Learning

Creating learning environments where people from diverse backgrounds can thrive starts with inclusion by design. For me, it starts with creating an environment where everyone feels they belong. People bring different experiences, perspectives, strengths and challenges and effective learning recognizes and values those differences. Learning should be accessible, respectful and relevant to a wide range of roles and contexts.

It also requires psychological safety. People need to feel able to ask questions, make mistakes, share perspectives and participate fully. The role of learning leaders is to remove barriers, design with empathy and ensure learning experiences help people feel seen, valued and equipped to succeed. Learning experiences need to be engaging and fun, in a world where time and attention are limited, impactful learning must engage the senses and be a positive experience,

Making Learning Part of the Workday

I think learning will become even more integrated into the flow of work. Rather than people stepping away from their jobs to learn, learning will increasingly happen through experiences, coaching, collaboration and technology-enabled support when and where it's needed.

“When people have the opportunity to learn and grow, they can shape their own careers and contribute in new ways.”

As workforce needs continue to change, organizations will need to focus on building adaptable skills and helping people continuously develop throughout their careers. The learning functions that add the most value will be those that can anticipate future capability needs and help people prepare for them before they become critical.

When Skills Open Doors to New Opportunities

One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that learning only creates real value when it helps people grow and helps the business achieve its goals. The strongest learning initiatives are those where people can clearly see how developing new skills opens up future opportunities for them.

I've also learned the importance of partnering closely with the business. When learning is connected to real challenges, future workforce needs and clear career pathways, it becomes much more meaningful. That's when you see stronger engagement, better performance and lasting impact.

Leadership Starts with Curiosity

Stay curious and never stop learning yourself. Some of the most valuable experiences in my career have come from stepping into unfamiliar situations, taking on new challenges and learning from people with different perspectives.

I’d also encourage aspiring leaders to spend time understanding the business, not just the learning profession. Building relationships, influencing without authority and connecting learning to business outcomes are all critical leadership skills. Most importantly, be genuine, invest in people and focus on creating value for others. Leadership is ultimately about helping people succeed.