Want culture change? Build a learning philosophy first.

Want culture change? Build a learning philosophy first.

From How to Make a Leader by Big Think+

October 23, 2025 · 22 min · Episode 17

About this episode

Dwayne Britton discusses the importance of a learning philosophy in driving culture change within organizations.

Every great learning culture starts with one thing: a clear philosophy of how people grow. Dwayne Britton has spent his career shaping culture and capability at Apple, Lululemon, Adidas, Zalando, and On. Across each, he’s learned that lasting impact comes when learning is guided by philosophy, not just programming. In this episode, Dwayne shares how L&D teams can redefine their role from content creators to cultural amplifiers, by building a learning philosophy that connects business strategy, brand identity, and human growth. You’ll learn: The difference between a learning culture and a learning philosophy How a learning philosophy positions L&D as a strategic partner The SPARK framework Dwayne used at On to connect learning to culture How to align brand, business, and learning goals How to identify your organization’s learning beliefs Things to listen for: (00:00) Introducing Dwayne Britton (02:19) Dwayne’s path from musical theater to L&D (04:36) What defines a learning culture vs. philosophy (06:47) Three realms every L&D program should serve (10:03) The question that defines your learning philosophy (12:20) The SPARK method for scaling learning (15:06) How to…

People in this episode

Guest: Dwayne Britton

Topics covered

  • learning culture
  • learning philosophy
  • L&D strategy
  • organizational growth
  • cultural impact

Keywords

  • learning culture
  • learning philosophy
  • L&D teams
  • SPARK framework
  • organizational growth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Apple, Lululemon, Adidas, Zalando, On

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