Microlearning: What Is It and How Can We Use It to Develop Leadership Skills?

It’s an attractive option for busy professionals who want to pick up new skills without committing hours to traditional training.

For leaders, microlearning provides an appealing solution for absorbing essential concepts in leadership, allowing for quick engagement with the content. Whether it’s a quick video on handling difficult conversations or a podcast on effective delegation, microlearning caters to the growing demand for efficiency and flexibility in our learning habits.

Why it’s the future of effective training in leadership

In many ways, microlearning meets the demands of modern leadership development by offering just-in-time learning that fits neatly into the daily grind. Leaders today juggle a multitude of tasks, and carving out time for long seminars or extensive training sessions seems almost impossible. Microlearning gives leaders the opportunity to digest small pieces of content that are tailored to specific needs, making learning accessible whenever there’s a gap in the schedule.

But while microlearning offers flexibility and speed, it should be noted that it’s best suited for less complex, smaller-scale learning moments. Leadership, however, is anything but a simple skill. Leading people, navigating organisational challenges, and driving vision requires deep reflection, real-time practice, and a long-term commitment to growth.

The Limitations of Microlearning in Leadership Development

The problem with relying solely on microlearning

Microlearning is an incredible tool for learning discrete skills, such as understanding emotional triggers, practicing effective communication, or learning to manage time more efficiently. However, leadership is not simply a collection of discrete skills that can be learned in isolation. Leadership demands the integration of various complex elements—empathy, strategy, crisis management, and long-term vision. These require sustained focus, extensive reflection, and the ability to apply these concepts in a real-world context.

Microlearning can be a crutch if we rely on it exclusively, offering a false sense of mastery over complex skills. We need to dig deeper, to engage in longer training programs, workshops, or mentoring sessions that force us to confront nuanced challenges and develop a richer understanding of our leadership capabilities.

How microlearning addresses attention and retention but falls short for comprehensive leadership skills

While microlearning has an undeniable impact on retention and focus, research indicates that our attention spans are shrinking. Adults today are less likely to engage deeply with content, often skimming through short articles or jumping between tasks without fully committing to any single one. Microlearning caters to this by delivering content in brief bursts. However, this focus on brevity doesn’t allow for the kind of immersion that’s necessary for developing complex leadership skills.

Research suggests that the brain’s ability to process and retain information improves when we engage in deeper, uninterrupted learning sessions. In leadership development, this means we can’t just skim the surface of the most important aspects of leadership—empathy, decision-making, or strategic vision—by watching a 10-minute video or listening to a short podcast. These topics require real-world application, feedback, and personal introspection—processes that take time.

Short bursts for smaller skills, not for comprehensive leadership mastery

Microlearning’s ability to deliver specific, targeted lessons is a great asset for learning individual leadership tools or tackling smaller, less intensive challenges. For example, if we need a refresher on how to delegate tasks effectively, microlearning provides a quick, digestible lesson. But when it comes to mastering leadership overall, shorter content cannot substitute the practice and reflection that come from engaging in deeper, longer-form learning experiences. To develop real leadership capacity, leaders need to move beyond microlearning and make time to immerse themselves in comprehensive programs that allow them to apply and expand upon what they have learned.

Current Trends in Adult Attention Spans

The Decline of Attention Span: What the Research Says

In a world inundated with distractions, adult attention spans have significantly diminished. The era of extended focus on a single task or piece of content is long gone. As technology advances and information floods our daily lives, our ability to focus for long periods has become increasingly limited.

Recent studies have shown a steady decline in the average attention span of adults. According to a 2015 study published in the Journal of Applied Cognitive Studies, adults now average just 8.25 seconds of attention on a single task, down from 12 seconds in the year 2000. While this may seem like a trivial shift, it has significant implications for how we approach learning.

A 2019 study in Psychological Science found that the increase in digital media consumption has been a major driver of this reduction in focus. With the constant barrage of notifications, emails, and social media updates, our brains are trained to respond to rapid stimuli, leaving little room for sustained concentration on any one task.

The Necessity of Rebuilding Our Attention Spans for Leadership Development

Attention spans: The silent barrier to true leadership development

While microlearning offers a quick solution for skills development, it also reflects a deeper, emerging issue: our declining attention spans. As technology accelerates and the pace of work increases, it’s easy to fall into the trap of consuming content in short bursts. However, to be truly effective as a leader, we need to work on reconditioning our attention spans and actively make space for longer learning sessions that can lead to deeper insights.

Studies show that when we engage in longer learning experiences, we are better able to make connections between different concepts, reflect on our personal leadership challenges, and engage in higher-level problem-solving. In leadership, this is essential for making strategic decisions, fostering team dynamics, and executing long-term goals. Leaders who commit to long-form learning can integrate lessons more effectively, seeing not just the how, but also the why behind their actions.

Why leadership requires deep, sustained engagement

Leadership requires more than just a basic toolkit of skills. It demands ongoing personal development and introspection. Long-form learning—whether through books, immersive workshops, or mentorship programs—allows leaders to dive deep into the nuances of human behaviour, team dynamics, and strategic thinking. These aren’t skills that can be fully developed in the time it takes to finish a 10-minute video. Leaders must dedicate time and energy to engage with these complex concepts over extended periods to truly internalise the knowledge and apply it in their day-to-day roles.

This doesn’t mean that microlearning should be abandoned—it should remain part of the leadership development strategy. But leaders must also prioritise the time to engage with more comprehensive resources that build upon the microlearning foundation and allow for practical, real-world application. Only by combining both short-form and long-form learning will leaders be able to navigate the ever-changing challenges of the modern workplace effectively.

Using Microlearning for Leadership Skills: A Balanced Approach

Microlearning for smaller, practical leadership tasks

Microlearning excels at addressing specific, bite-sized needs in leadership training. For instance, learning to handle a difficult conversation, give constructive feedback, or manage time effectively can all be tackled with short, focused content. These skills are important, but they are the building blocks for more complex leadership capabilities. Microlearning helps introduce these concepts in manageable pieces, making it easier for leaders to learn new tools they can immediately apply to their roles.

Long-form learning for deeper, more strategic leadership development

While microlearning helps leaders address immediate skills gaps, long-form learning is necessary for developing the deep, strategic insight required for leadership success. Immersive workshops, leadership coaching, and comprehensive training programs allow leaders to explore complex topics such as vision setting, team-building, and crisis management. These sessions offer time for reflection, group discussion, and scenario-based exercises—none of which can be achieved in a 10-minute module.

The Future of Leadership Training: A Hybrid Model

The future of leadership training lies in combining microlearning with longer, more in-depth learning experiences. While microlearning provides flexibility, efficiency, and immediate takeaways, leadership is best developed through sustained, focused engagement. A hybrid approach—one that includes both short, targeted lessons and extended learning opportunities—offers the best of both worlds. It allows leaders to continually refine their skills while also giving them the space and time to engage in meaningful, deep learning that drives long-term growth.

In the end, microlearning is a valuable tool, but it’s only part of the equation. To become truly effective leaders, we must learn to expand our attention spans, make time for deeper learning, and apply ourselves in meaningful ways to cultivate leadership skills that go beyond the basics. Only then will we develop the full capacity to lead with insight, impact, and innovation.