Welcome to the final column of a three part leadership series on building intellectual capital. In previous columns we focused on the first two questions of any strategic planning process: where are we today, and where do we want to be tomorrow? The final strategic planning questions is how do I get there, and that is the focus of this final article.

How do I get there?

An important building block to acquiring both intellectual and social capital, the subject of future columns, is understanding, respecting and leveraging yourself. You will make your growth strategy much easier if you understand your strengths and how you learn best.

One recommendation is to assess your learning style. It is not our aim to get in an academic discussion of which learning style methodology is the best. Howard Gardner is one of several academics that has categorized different learning styles, and on-line self assessment quizzes can be easily found on the internet. Through them you can determine if, for example, you are a visual learner or an audio one. Find out the way that you learn best, and adapt your learning strategies to it.

Adapt your learning time as well. If you experience a significant peak in your mental efficiency during the day, schedule your ‘capital building’ for that time as well. I am, for example, a morning person. Trying to learn at night is simply harder work for me. Be aware of what it takes to be ‘on your game’ when you learn. Create the optimal situation for success. Don’t fight what you are – leverage it.