Building Actual Intelligence (And Why the Best Learners Never Stop)
In my email this month, I asked: while everyone's racing toward artificial intelligence, are we forgetting to invest in actual intelligence?
The ability to spot when a colleague is struggling. The confidence to have difficult conversations. The awareness to make workplaces genuinely inclusive.
Real people skills.
These aren't abstract concepts. Research shows that workplaces with strong mental health literacy see 31% higher engagement and 37% lower turnover. Neurodiversity-aware teams unlock innovation that homogeneous thinking misses.
But here's what I've noticed: the organisations that see genuine culture change aren't the ones that tick the "training complete" box. They're the ones that treat learning as a rhythm, not an event.
The Difference Between Knowing and Doing
You can complete a Mental Health First Aid course and understand the framework perfectly. But building the confidence to use it? That happens in the conversations that follow. The first awkward attempt. The moment you notice something's off with a colleague and actually say something. The practice.
Learning about neurodiversity gives you knowledge. Building genuinely inclusive practices happens through daily application, reflection, adjustment, and—honestly—getting it wrong sometimes and trying again.
The course gives you the foundation. The real skill develops when you use it.
What Athletes Know That Corporate Learners Forget
Elite athletes don't train once and consider themselves "done." They practice. They refine. They seek feedback. They return to fundamentals regularly.
Research on skill acquisition shows that spaced repetition—returning to core concepts multiple times over weeks and months—creates deeper capability than intensive one-off sessions ever could. Our brains need multiple exposures, practical application, and time to embed new patterns.
Yet in workplace learning, we often treat a single training session as a permanent solution. We "complete" a course and move on, expecting the learning to magically translate into changed behaviour.
The best learners think differently. They seek multiple exposures. They practice deliberately. They build learning rhythms.
Auditing Your Actual Intelligence
Here's a practical starting point for 2026:
What people skills matter most in your role?
Having difficult conversations?
Spotting when colleagues are struggling?
Creating psychologically safe teams?
Supporting neurodivergent colleagues effectively?
What have you developed in these areas over the past year?
Formal training you've completed?
Books, podcasts, or resources you've engaged with?
Conversations with people doing it well?
Real situations where you tried something new?
Where are the gaps?
Skills you know matter but haven't developed?
Training you completed that would benefit from refreshing?
Blind spots you suspect but haven't addressed?
This isn't about what's wrong. It's about being strategic. Once you've identified the gaps, ask yourself: What's the one capability that, if developed, would have the biggest impact on your team this year? Start there.
Building Your Learning Rhythm
Professional development doesn't require constant week-long courses. Sometimes the most effective learning happens through:
Strong foundations - Quality training that gives you frameworks and confidence
Deliberate practice - Applying skills in real situations, then reflecting
Peer learning - Conversations with colleagues facing similar challenges
Periodic refreshers - Revisiting core concepts to deepen understanding
Think of it like physical fitness. One workout doesn't transform you. But a rhythm of consistent training over time? That changes everything.
If You're Planning Your 2026 Development
If you've identified mental health literacy or neurodiversity awareness as capabilities you want to build this year, I'd love to help.
I’ve designed training that fits with every level, because real change happens when everyone's involved, not just a few champions.
From the one-hour Mentality course that gives teams essential mental health literacy, to comprehensive Mental Health First Aid certification, to Neurodiversity Champion training that shifts how teams think about inclusion. All my courses provide a foundation you'll build on through practice, application, and ongoing development.
I’m offering 20% off all bookings before January 31st. Code: UPSKILL2026
Explore courses → https://www.peterlarkum.com/courses-and-events
Because investing in actual intelligence—the human skills that make work actually work—is never wasted.
Research citations:
Cepeda et al. (2006). "Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks." Psychological Bulletin
CIPD (2024). Health and Wellbeing at Work Survey
Ericsson et al. (1993). "The role of deliberate practice in expert performance"
