ANDRAGOGICAL LEADERSHIP – THE SUSTAINABLE PATH TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN COMPANIES

“Adult education represents a process through which an adult becomes aware of their experience and evaluates it. To do this, they cannot begin studying ‘disciplines’ in the hope that someday this information will be useful. On the contrary, they start by paying attention to the situations they find themselves in, to problems that bring obstacles to their self-fulfillment. Facts and information from various spheres of knowledge are used, not for the purpose of accumulation, but out of necessity to solve problems.” – Eduard Lindeman

What makes someone a good leader? For a long time, experts believed that leadership was something intrinsic to a person, that it had much more to do with their ability to deal with others through an extroverted nature, charisma, charm, and mannerisms in expressing themselves. Those with indisputable personalities were seen as always effective in their commands before their followers. As if having a kind of superpower destined for only a few, this power was seen as a formula within their “DNA,” revealed through their knack for winning followers and sparking team enthusiasm while keeping them disciplined. “A leader is a leader”—this was the belief for a long time, that a leader is always a leader in any situation. Of course, these theories have long become obsolete, and today it is very clear that leadership is viewed in a much more realistic, rational, complex, and multifaceted way.
But this is not the big issue today. Defining what a leader is has become quite simple in these modern times. You can easily find definitions, models, examples, and even self-help guides on the subject in bookstores at airports or newsstands near your home.
One of the most important questions being discussed today about leadership, and something I hear all the time, is not only the perception that finding good leaders is becoming rarer, but also the sad reality of managers feeling frustrated because they cannot generate a consistent cycle of leadership development within their own company.
It is very common to hear managers say that good leaders are hard to find and that there is a shortage of talent in the market, especially within their own organization. But the truth is that this mindset is a major misconception. The problem is not a lack of internal talent capable of leading but rather how employees are being encouraged to give their best and how to replicate their know-how to create a culture of knowledge and improvement that directly reflects in the development of new leaders.
The fact is that, unfortunately, many organizations still have not figured out how to fully harness their talents, let alone their prospective leaders. They fail to realize that they have become blinded by their own management models.
When there isn’t a clear vision that effectively benefits employees, the company ends up limiting its evolution, creating barriers in internal relationships and its progress, which is reflected in low talent development rates and high turnover rates.
An article published in the Harvard Business Review, written by Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, Andrew Roscoe, and Kentaro Aramaki, highlights recent Gallup research showing that 51% of U.S. executives feel disconnected from their job and company, and 55% are actively looking for external opportunities. Additionally, 71% of employees are actively seeking a new job or open to doing so, and 58% check job postings at least once a month. The average employee turnover rate (75% of which is voluntary) has been steadily increasing over the last six years. In 2016, it reached a new high of 20.3% in the U.S. and is even higher in more attractive sectors. Statistics in other countries are comparable.
The same article also shows that according to research conducted by the Corporate Executive Board, 66% of companies invest in programs designed to identify high-potential employees and help them progress, but only 24% of senior executives in these companies consider these programs successful. Only 13% trust their company’s rising leaders, down from an already low 17% just three years ago. And in the largest corporations — each with thousands of executives — about 30% of new CEOs are hired externally.
When you crunch the numbers, it becomes clear that the costs of a vicious cycle of employee turnover represent a high expense for the company’s sustainability. After all, it’s not just about direct economic costs, such as fees and taxes, but also indirect costs, from the investment already made in the employee to the time needed for the newcomer to adapt. Not to mention that this practice demotivates those who stay, directly affecting the quality of services provided, increasing stress levels, and worsening the organizational climate.
Harmonious coexistence fosters the exchange of experience and knowledge, making actions more precise and effective. The key to this lies in awakening the potential of each resource, building a new culture fostered through horizontal relationships, and developing circular coordination directed toward group interests, rather than relying on verticalized structures of order, obedience, reward, threat, or punishment.
The problem is that this new reality is still a long way off for many companies. Most still adhere to outdated, rigid, and inflexible concepts where people remain in command posts, working to shape the group’s identity according to their own interests. They forget that a true leader understands that their ability lies not in imposing ideas and thoughts but in inspiring the group’s desire for cooperation. A leader emerges with the situation. There is no leader for everything, and everyone can and will be a leader in some situation—it all depends on the circumstances and the environment each person is involved in.

HOW CAN COMPANIES AVOID THIS MASSIVE WASTE OF TALENT AND CREATE MORE EFFICIENT PROGRAMS FOR DEVELOPING NEW LEADERS?

And this is where Leadership through Andragogy in companies is grounded.

The term Andragogy first appeared with the Greeks, where andros means adult and gogos means to educate. However, it was around 1833 that the term Andragogy was manifested through the words of Alexander Kapp, a German professor. He used this term in his book called Platon’s Erziehungslehre, which translated would be Plato’s Educational Ideas, where it speaks of the human need to be in a process of self-reflection, allowing an evolutionary state through knowledge.
Around 1921, the term Andragogy was republished by the German thinker and historian Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy. There were other important scholars who also wrote on the subject, such as Ernst Michel and Wilhelm Sturmfels, but its popularization came through the studies presented by Malcolm Shepherd Knowles. Knowles studied and taught at major American universities, including Harvard University, University of Chicago, Boston University, and North Carolina State University, where he had the opportunity to develop his research in the field of adult education. It was within his humanistic learning theory that he introduced the world to the theory of Andragogy as “the art or science of helping adults learn.”
The word may sound somewhat strange, but it actually represents an important concept that is returning to the market with all the strength and importance it truly deserves.
Focused on educational development for adults, it has important applicability in the corporate world, especially when we talk about leadership. Research has shown that companies that develop a knowledge culture have achieved greater stability and performance, better organizational climate, reduced stress, and much lower employee turnover. However, the big secret of these companies is not just about providing knowledge, but knowing what, how, and to whom the knowledge will be made available. This is where Andragogy comes in.
Its understanding becomes an important facilitator in guiding adult learning, a topic that has currently been a major concern in the corporate world. This is due to the fact that, through Andragogy, it is possible to identify the best way to develop a culture of knowledge that aligns educational goals with the achievement of continuous learning within organizations.
The science of Andragogy lies precisely in accessing new directions and learning strategies, whether in professional or personal life. It becomes of fundamental relevance to those who aim to explore adult competencies, identifying the characteristics that best suit them and helping to pinpoint the differences in learning processes when placed in an educational context. It values life experiences, develops a systemic vision, and enables critical reflection and intelligence in adult interventions, placing the adult at the center of attention. It’s important to remember that adults become responsible for their own lives. Hence, as they mature, they increasingly seek responsibility for their own decisions. Therefore, adults will always seek new knowledge that will effectively make a difference in their real lives.
The misconception and most of the frustrations of organizations that invest in knowledge but do not achieve the desired results mainly occur because the majority of corporate learning actions use the conventional approach, based on pedagogical principles, which prioritize content choice and a one-way method of knowledge transmission. Andragogy, on the other hand, focuses on human development in a coordinated way that aligns with the skills to be applied in the adult’s personal and professional life. For its applicability, the mentor (so to speak) and the learner form a partnership where they together recognize the real needs, ensuring a constant exchange. Therefore, in the corporate world, it becomes very clear the importance of adopting this principle by leaders.
By applying Andragogy, you enable the practice of circular leadership. In this way, knowledge ceases to be an imposition and becomes a conscious exchange, dissolving vanity. In this model, the leader can sometimes guide their followers and, at other times, be consciously open to receiving guidance as well. This develops a horizontal, ethical, and democratic relationship where everyone is open to recognizing their limits, allowing them to see real needs and strengthening the culture of doing the best in what they already know while learning what they do not know, supported by continuous learning.
Who better than a leader and their collaborators to define the focus of development, the goal of a training program, identifying how that knowledge will be important for the activities performed and the expected outcomes? That is why its applicability strengthens and harmonizes the exchange of knowledge and, consequently, leadership. This way, it is possible to address current problems that are being experienced. And this generates a differentiated motivation since everyone participating in the andragogical process experiences a real gain.
Another great advantage is that an Andragogy process moves away from the traditional learning mode, breaking paradigms and allowing adaptation. It enhances knowledge labs through simulations, games, interactivity, coaching, among others, fostering a culture of exchange, independence, experience, and self-management of learning, opening pathways for new directions and strategies. It is a concept that ensures the exchange of ideas, encouraging creativity and innovation.

The first major step for its internalization is precisely bringing to each employee’s awareness the need for continuous knowledge development. Instead of mapping strategies solely through case studies, Andragogy focuses on knowledge derived from real experiences, believing it is possible to find new questions for new answers. After all, the world is becoming more dynamic, and changes demand increasingly more perception and agility.
The company is a living system, constantly in motion, with daily changes and needs that differ at every moment. Therefore, strategic or elective educational solutions must be encouraged in a way that truly makes sense for each of the collaborators. To discover what makes sense, it is necessary to create groups of ideas focusing on what is useful in the daily work life, which will contribute to personal and professional development, bringing effective results that will automatically be rewarded with the formation of motivated professionals.
Through Andragogy, it is possible to enhance decision-making processes in the face of conflict resolution, change, problems, and everything related to the work environment and the attitudes of employees in their daily routines. In this context, andragogical principles serve as facilitators, articulators, and guides for their adoption in the corporate world. For effective applicability, some basic guidelines are necessary:

1. Autonomy
Perhaps one of the most important strategies for facilitating the learning process of adults is the autonomy in the learning journey. The company must allow the development of a knowledge culture with the autonomy of its participants. This creates conditions for everyone’s presence through dialogue, encouraging interactions, collaboration, and cooperation. Thus, andragogical processes are self-directed, driven by the initiative and decisions of the participants in a democratic and ethical manner. It is worth noting that impositions are almost always poorly received by adults.
Developing an education cycle for adults is different from that for young people. For a continuous cycle to exist, it is essential that they first find meaning in the learning process, and ultimately, they need to perceive their co-authorship within it. The result is respect, harmony, and a significant increase in motivation among all.

2. Humility
Humility is a determining factor in the composition of an autonomous process, and this is not something easily achieved. Working on people’s behavior is as challenging as changing an organization’s culture. Therefore, Andragogy is a circular process. Only then can an environment be generated where there is exchange, and with that, each participant is open to recognizing their limits and weaknesses, as well as their capacity to accept others as they are and not as they would like them to be.
Developing a culture of knowledge must be based on the leaders’ ability to articulate and reconcile ideas while providing autonomy and freedom of action and expression among those involved in the process. Therefore, it is clear that humility is directly related to respect, trust, security, and acceptance.

3. Initiative
Encouraging each participant’s initiative to seek knowledge is crucial. For an adult to be interested in learning, they first need to recognize their needs in accordance with what can bring real benefits to their daily lives. Thus, an andragogical process starts from recognizing what is necessary in order to find ways to develop knowledge, awakening interest in the subject.

4. Doubt
Doubt is a great ally in awakening knowledge. It enables a different way of thinking beyond the ordinary to solve everyday problems. Hesitation is what makes an adult interested in knowledge, so it is essential to consider critical analyses in the planning of content and proposed activities for learning that may stimulate reflection on the topic.

5. Change of Direction
This topic is directly related to issues with belief and knowledge, their nature, and limitations. Thus, there is a relationship between tutor and student, within a horizontal process where respect, transparency, and humility must be foundational between the parties so that there can be a real exchange of knowledge among all involved, enabling changes, when necessary, harmoniously allowing for corrections as long as they are grounded in meeting the established goals in the knowledge development process.

6. Contexts
Context refers to the coherence established between the body of knowledge sought and the real needs within the factors that influence it. In other words, it is the relationship between theory and practice through a set of circumstances that produce outcomes to meet objectives and goals to be achieved, allowing for their correct understanding. This item takes into account all factors that may influence the quality and real necessity of the theme as well as the people involved. Therefore, there is a need for planning, execution, and management that can map out content, target audience, limitations, conditions, expected results, evaluations, among others. Additionally, it is also important to consider socio-environmental, socio-cultural, and socio-economic factors.

7. Life Experience
Experience is a highly relevant factor in each person’s life. It is experiences that mature us and represent who we are in the present. When there is an encouragement for sharing experiences within a group, you are accessing not only each person’s knowledge but also their limiting beliefs, prejudices, judgments, and assumptions formed throughout their lives. This way, one can leverage much more when differences are considered in a knowledge process, modeling learning styles, needs, and interests of participants. This enables systemic reflection during critical moments, analysis, evaluations, and decisions.

8. Search
For an adult to be interested in learning, they must first recognize their needs concerning what can bring real benefits to their daily lives. Thus, an andragogical process begins with recognizing what is necessary in order to seek different ways to solve problems, encouraging a systemic, analytical, and critical view of things from the outside in. This involves questioning ready-made answers, absolute truths, contexts, and opinions, fostering innovation and creativity.

9. Objectivity
Adults have an aversion to sameness. To stimulate their interest in learning, coherence is necessary. For this to occur, it is essential to introduce a set of knowledge that can be effectively used in daily life, in a practical and real context, awakening interest in the enhancement of personal and professional development.

10. Added Value
Knowledge is the foundation that makes people better, and this is very important for adults who are much more focused on internal factors than external ones. The development of knowledge represents much more for an adult than many of the benefits offered by companies. Organizations that promote knowledge have lower turnover rates among their employees. It is essential to consider all the values that should be part of the stages of planning, execution, and management of results for the acceptance, understanding, and commitment of all. From these values, the company should direct which actions will effectively bring gains. The results of these actions will fundamentally depend on the company’s ability to design engaging and stimulating learning experiences that make sense for its participants, enabling employees to apply in their personal and professional lives what they are learning or have learned.

HOW TO DEVELOP ANDRAGOGICAL LEADERSHIP?

In light of everything that has been written so far, it is clear that the cultural factor adopted by the company’s management and its clarity regarding the direction the company wants to pursue is fundamental in Andragogy. Therefore, before organizations begin to map their actions, it is necessary to find the maturity of the knowledge culture for the development of each talent’s potential and their necessary competencies.
A common mistake in companies is the lack of clarity with their employees from the act of hiring. The definition and perspective of what to expect and how this will be measured must be exposed so that people do what they are supposed to do. It is necessary to determine exactly what is expected of them in order to accurately map what they need to get there. It is clear that this can vary from business to business, as the requirements can also vary from area to area within companies.
Similarly, adopting Andragogy in a company should initially aim to identify the most decisive competencies for the most important areas, which represent not only a greater influence on the organization regarding its own challenges and goals but also facilitates the understanding of what is necessary. When this process is applied in a cascading manner throughout the company hierarchy, it achieves greater accuracy in targeting audiences, determining what and where to invest, forming clearer ideas aligned with the entire company regarding the main skills needed for each area, both vertically and horizontally. Not forgetting three fundamental points:

• The creation of a development roadmap for each talent should clearly and objectively show the strengths in each of the indicators, aligning with the necessary competencies in various functions.
• Encourage, support, and if necessary, apply Coaching to identify the gaps between capacity and current competencies.
• Even for senior positions, the culture of knowledge should be proliferated.

From here, what greatly aids in the realization of talent development through Andragogy, with the adoption of a knowledge culture, is comprehensively assessing current competencies and what is expected from future leaders, as well as their growth potential. This can be done through a deep evaluation of their professional experience, direct questioning, and conversations with managers, colleagues, and subordinates. To extract the best information from the person and their colleagues, propose open-ended questions and explore them.
With all the information developed through a well-structured mapping, it becomes simpler to achieve the fundamental step of the identification process, which is precisely to determine where each talent will be successful. This can be affirmed since there are patterns regarding how individual indicators translate into the final mastery of leadership competencies. Always remembering that factors such as curiosity, insight, engagement, and determination should be at the foundational basis for research on future leaders.
The implementation of an Andragogical culture is indeed the development of a knowledge culture. It will certainly reflect a safer path to help awaken talents that may have previously been hidden from the company’s view. If one can reconcile the assessments of competencies and potential with the current progression of each area of the company, it is possible that with this new culture, you can effectively create better conditions for planning talent development within the institution itself, thus creating a cyclical structure of early leaders. This will facilitate the growth of a contingent of people to fill the most strategic positions in the company, transforming knowledge into an extraordinary source of competitive advantage that will also greatly support managers in becoming the great leaders they were idle to become.

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