How to Coach Your Team into the Learning Zone
Last summer, on a family vacation at a kid-friendly resort, I noticed something simple but revealing. Every child was in motion, running, splashing, and playing, while every adult was sitting or lying down. I joked with my brother-in-law that this was why kids were in better shape: they’re constantly active, exploring, and testing limits. In small ways, they’re growing both physically and mentally. Meanwhile, the adults were doing the opposite, they were prioritizing comfort and rest.
That small observation reminded me of something fundamental to growth and leadership: real development doesn’t happen in the Comfort Zone.
It happens in what I call the Learning Zone: the space where we’re challenged, stretched, and slightly uncomfortable.
Growth, whether for an individual or an organization, requires effort, experimentation, and exposure to failure. It’s often inconvenient, sometimes intimidating, and always illuminating. But this is where people evolve, and where they build the capacity to adapt, perform, and ultimately thrive.
If you want a company that continuously improves, you need a team that continuously learns. And that means helping people recognize, enter, and embrace their Learning Zone, not just once in a while, but as a way of working.
Seeing Skills Everywhere
After reading Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code, I began viewing the world through a new lens. I started noticing that many of the things we call “personality traits” or “preferences” are actually skills, learned, practiced, and reinforced over time.
For example, I used to be “skilled” at eating ice cream. When I was a vegetarian, I became “skilled” at avoiding red meat. At one point, I was decidedly unskilled at waking up at 5 a.m., but after consistent effort, I built that ability.
The truth is, we can’t unlearn old skills by simply stopping them, but we can replace them by practicing new ones. That’s what deliberate, or deep, practice is all about. It requires intentional effort and consistent feedback. And it only happens when we step into the Learning Zone.
Lessons from the Marathon
I’ve completed five New York City Marathons, and each one has taught me something new about learning.
When I first started running as an adult, I had no plan, no structure, and no technique. I just went outside and ran, and I was pounding the pavement like it was enough. But it wasn’t. It was like sitting down at a piano, slamming on random keys, and claiming to play music.
Proper training, focusing on form, breath, cadence, recovery, changed everything. It pushed me into my Learning Zone. And over time, my body and mind adapted in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
For example, as a kid, I struggled with asthma so badly that, while traveling in Southeast Asia, I once feared going to sleep because I wasn’t sure I’d wake up. Now, I’ve gone 11 years without any breathing issues. Running transformed my health, energy, and mindset.
That same process, deliberate effort in the Learning Zone, made me a better father and a better manager. It taught me to value the process of learning over the comfort of knowing.
Coaching Your Team into the Learning Zone
So how do you help your team step into their Learning Zone? Think of it as developing a skill set of its own — one that combines awareness, mindset, and sustained practice.
Your role as a manager isn’t just to assign tasks or set goals; it’s to create an environment where learning is part of the culture. That starts with helping people understand what the Learning Zone is and how to navigate it.
Understanding the Learning Zone
By nature, people resist discomfort. Our brains associate it with risk or danger, not growth. That’s why it’s so important to reframe discomfort as a sign of learning.
The Learning Zone sits between two extremes:
The Comfort Zone — where we feel safe but stagnant.
The Panic Zone — where fear and overwhelm make it impossible to grow.
The Learning Zone is the sweet spot in between these two extreme states. It is challenging enough to demand focus and energy, but not so intense that it shuts us down. It’s where progress happens, neuron by neuron, habit by habit.
When I coach leaders, I often show them a visual model of these three zones. It helps them see that discomfort isn’t a problem, instead it’s an indicator that growth is underway.
I also share examples from my own experience. Once, while coaching someone through an important negotiation, I noticed they’d tipped into their Panic Zone. Their tone was sharp, their thinking reactive. I suggested they take a short break and a quick walk to reset. Within minutes, they were calmer, clearer, and back in their Learning Zone.
Over time, I’ve found there are two key “meta-skills” worth cultivating:
Moving from Comfort to Learning. The transition often feels wrong — your body and mind resist it — but it’s actually the right place to be.
Pulling back from Panic to Learning. Recognizing when you’re overwhelmed and knowing how to reset is equally vital.
Both require awareness and consistent practice. They also benefit from leaders who model those transitions openly.
Bridging the Gap Between Concept and Experience
Once your team understands what the Learning Zone is, the next step is helping them live it. This means connecting theory to their real-world challenges and experiences.
I like to start with reflective questions:
When was a time you were in your Learning Zone?
When did you cross into your Panic Zone?
Where do you think you are right now?
These conversations normalize discomfort and make learning visible. They also help people calibrate their sense of challenge and capacity.
If someone seems disengaged or bored, they’re probably in their Comfort Zone. That’s valuable feedback, not about them, but about you. It might mean you’re not giving them enough stretch opportunities.
On the other hand, if someone feels overwhelmed or constantly stressed, they’re likely in their Panic Zone. Learning can’t happen there either. In those moments, the short-term fix is to reduce the challenge; the long-term solution is to increase their skill level so they can handle more next time.
This is how growth compounds.
Over my career, each increase in responsibility, more people, higher stakes, tougher calls, initially felt like too much. But eventually, what once felt impossible became routine.
I often use an analogy from education. My daughter’s elementary school assigns reading materials based on each student’s level, ensuring the challenge is just right. Music and martial arts training work the same way. But in business, we rarely calibrate learning this intentionally, but we should.
Sometimes, framing change as a natural continuation helps too. When I took improv classes at The Upright Citizens Brigade, one exercise we practiced was “Yes, and…” — the art of continuing someone else’s idea rather than shutting it down. Managers can use that same principle. Build on what’s already working. Instead of saying, “You need to do this differently,” try saying, “Do more of that.” Small continuations create momentum without triggering defensiveness.
Motivating People to Stay in the Learning Zone
Motivation isn’t about rah-rah speeches or performance bonuses. True motivation comes from connection, contribution, and gratification.
Connection is built through storytelling. People are inspired by examples of others who struggled and succeeded whether it’s innovators, athletes, or peers. My son was four when he first watched Rocky, and he spent the entire movie shadowboxing. Stories are contagious. As a manager, I use stories constantly. These are stories of real people who entered their Learning Zone, stuck with it, and came out stronger.
Contribution taps into purpose. People feel energized when their unique abilities make a meaningful difference. When someone on my team brings a strength I don’t have, and it makes the group stronger, I make a point to acknowledge it. I tell them, “I’m grateful you can do this because I can’t.” That recognition fuels pride and deepens engagement.
Gratification is the payoff — the satisfaction that comes after effort. It’s the joy of having climbed a mountain precisely because it was steep. I often use the analogy of climbing Everest: the journey is miserable, but reaching the summit feels extraordinary because it was hard. The struggle amplifies the reward.
Keep Learning and Lead by Example
When I was young, my parents used to tell me, “When you stop learning, you start dying.” I didn’t appreciate it fully then, but I do now. The secret to longevity, in leadership, business, and life, isn’t a stress-free existence; it’s engagement.
Research backs this up. A long, fulfilling life is less tied to avoiding stress and more to staying mentally and emotionally active. The human brain remains astonishingly adaptable well into adulthood. We now know that neural pathways grow and reorganize in response to new challenges — even in our later years.
As a manager, you set the tone. Step into your own Learning Zone regularly. Try new things. Share your struggles and growth openly. When your team sees you learning, they’ll feel safe to do the same. Vulnerability breeds connection — and connection drives performance.
Growth doesn’t come from standing still. It comes from leaning into discomfort, practicing deliberately, and choosing to learn even when it’s hard.
Lead the way. Step into your Learning Zone, and invite your team to join you there.