Long before classrooms and corporate training, people learned from one another. Skills were passed down through observation, imitation, and shared practice: a child learned to fish by watching a parent, an apprentice honed a craft beside a master, and communities advanced knowledge through storytelling and demonstration. Social connection has always been at the heart of human development. By the 1970s, learning research was dominated by behaviorism, which emphasized conditioning and reinforcement, and the rise of cognitivism, which explored memory, perception, and knowledge construction. Albert Bandura bridged these perspectives with his Social Learning Theory, demonstrating that people learn not only through experience but also by watching and modeling others. His work challenged the idea of learning as a solitary act and highlighted the central role of social interaction in how we absorb and apply knowledge.
That principle remains just as relevant today, even as learning has shifted into digital environments. eLearning provides structure and scale, but its true impact comes when paired with the inherently social ways humans learn
The Role of Leadership
Training can teach new information, though information alone rarely rewires behavior. Two teams can take the exact same eLearning course. One walks away transformed. The other returns to business as usual by Monday morning. What creates that gap?
The leader.
A leader’s influence makes or breaks the success of training. When they communicate why the learning matters, demonstrate it in action, and reinforce new skills on the job, behavior change becomes possible. When they default to business as usual, change fades before it starts.
Most people simply do not have the level of intrinsic motivation needed to turn learning into a lasting habit without visible reinforcement and support. Leaders provide that spark. When leaders incorporate the social learning principles of observation, imitation, retention, and motivation intentionally into the workplace environment by providing opportunities to share knowledge and practice skills, that’s when the real ROI is seen. It comes when lessons are not just learned, but lived within the culture of the team.
Here are six practical ways leaders can bring learning to life and make training stick.
Model the Behavior
Employees take their cues from leadership. When managers and executives openly participate in training and share what they learned (as well as how they’re implementing it), it normalizes a culture of growth. For example, a leader who references insights from a course during a meeting signals that it’s an important tool meant to help the organization succeed.
● After completing a module on communication, start a team meeting with: “One takeaway from last week’s course was how active listening reduces misunderstandings. I’m going to practice summarizing your points before responding—hold me accountable if I slip up.”
Create Opportunities for Peer Interaction
eLearning doesn’t have to happen in isolation. Let your team do the research, but create an environment where that can be shared. Leaders can encourage social learning by organizing discussion groups, forums, or “lunch-and-learn” sessions tied to training modules. These spaces allow employees to ask specific questions and problem-solve collectively.
● Schedule a 30-minute Friday discussion where team members share one idea from that week’s training and brainstorm how to apply it to current projects.
● Use Microsoft Teams or Slack to create a channel specifically for sharing insights and asking follow-up questions about courses.
Recognize and Celebrate Collaboration
Recognition motivates engagement. Highlighting employees who contribute insights in discussion boards or take the initiative to mentor peers reinforces the importance of social learning and encourages others to follow suit. It also strengthens morale, giving employees a sense that their efforts are noticed and valued, which in turn motivates continued participation and collaboration.
● Include a “Learning Spotlight” in weekly team updates that highlights an employee who helped peers understand a tricky concept.
● Publicly thank a team member in a meeting for applying a course skill in a way that improved a client interaction.
Connect Learning to Business Goals
Employees are more likely to engage in dialogue around training when they see how it impacts real work. Leaders should regularly link training topics back to organizational objectives or specific team challenges. This helps frame learning as a tool for solving shared problems.
● After a module on data analysis, say: “The techniques we covered directly apply to our Q4 reporting. Let’s use these approaches to streamline the dashboard we’re preparing for leadership.”
Encourage Feedback and Continuous Conversation
Learning doesn’t end when the module is completed. Leaders who ask team members how they’ve applied their training, and who are open to feedback about what worked and what didn’t, signal a culture of continuous improvement. These conversations also spark peer-to-peer knowledge sharing that extends beyond formal training.
● During 1:1s, ask: “What’s one thing from the training you’ve been able to use this week?”
● Collect quick, anonymous feedback after each course with two questions: What was most useful? What would you change? Then share and discuss results with the team.
Leverage Technology for Connection
Most modern eLearning platforms include social features like chats, forums, and sometimes ratings. Leaders can promote these tools by encouraging employees to post reflections and comment on each other’s ideas, as well as share additional supplementary resources. Leveraging technology in a leadership position ensures that it becomes a bridge between individual and collective learning.
● Ask each team member to post one practical takeaway from a course in the platform’s forum and respond to at least one other post.
● Create short peer challenges, such as: “After finishing the time management module, share your best tip for keeping a meeting under 30 minutes.”
The Bottom Line
Great leadership shapes how learning is experienced in the workplace. When leaders engage thoughtfully with training, apply new skills in context, and effectively guide their teams through reflection and discussion, it crafts a unique, holistic learning experience and ensures that the lessons learned carry on long after the digital module ends.
Elevate your eLearning Based on the Social Learning Theory
Apti designs elearning solutions that drive behavioral change and build a culture of growth. Contact us today to discuss your next high-impact learning program.