And how to make learning stickier

I’ve heard this a few times from clients who finished my 7-week Dare to Lead program: “I loved every session. I took pages of notes. But now, I honestly couldn’t tell you three things we covered.”

I laugh, not because it’s funny, but because I know exactly what they mean. I’ve said the same thing about programs and conferences I’ve paid good money to attend (and I’ve attended a LOT). I sit there loving every minute of it, scribbling insights I am absolutely certain will change my life. Then two weeks later I find the notebook and read it like it belongs to a stranger.

This isn’t a memory problem; it’s a learning strategy problem. And it’s solvable!

I have an insatiable appetite for anything related to how humans learn, and partly because I watch it play out in real time in the programs I run. People show up curious, engaged, and genuinely committed. And then life happens, the notes gather dust, and the insights evaporate.

I came across a piece on this from Cogni.tiva that breaks down research from Weinstein and colleagues on why the study habits most of us default to (rereading, highlighting, cramming) are, scientifically speaking, pretty weak sauce. If you want the full breakdown, it’s worth a read. But here’s my leadership-coach take on the tools:

Retrieval over rereading. Close your notebook and try to explain the concept out loud, from memory, before you check if you got it right. This feels harder than rereading, and the discomfort is the point. Struggling to pull information out of your brain is what wires it in. So after a workshop, don’t just review your notes. Quiz yourself, explain the idea to your dog. Your dog won’t judge you, and you’ll remember it better.

Spacing over cramming. One long “study” session does less for you than five short check-ins spread over a month. Put reminders in your calendar to revisit key ideas a few days, then a few weeks, then a month later. Your brain likes a slow burn, not a bonfire.

Interleaving over blocking. Mix your topics instead of mastering one thing in isolation before moving to the next. If you’re working through concepts like vulnerability, values, and rumbling with tough conversations, don’t drill each one to death separately. Bounce between them. It feels messier in the moment but produces stickier learning later.

Concrete over abstract. A model is only useful once you’ve attached it to a real story from your own leadership life. When you learn a new framework, immediately ask yourself: where have I lived this? Then write that story down, not just the model.

Elaboration over passive absorption. Ask yourself “why does this work?” and “how does this connect to what I already know?” instead of just filing information away. The connections are where the learning sticks.

None of these tools require an app, a subscription, or a productivity hack you’ll abandon in a month. They require you to stop treating learning as something that happens to you in a room, and start treating it as something you build afterward, on purpose.

Speaking of rooms full of good intentions: want to transform your leadership and learning this fall? Join my Dare to Lead cohort, scheduled at the end of the day to support busy work days. Seven weeks, real conversations, and yes, I will absolutely make you practice retrieval instead of letting you hide behind your notebook. Fall Cohort of Dare to Lead *Early bird discount before September 18.

Reach out if you want more details. Seats are limited, and unlike that workshop insight from three weeks ago, this offer has an actual expiry date.