Current State
Leadership in learning is undergoing a dramatic transformation as organizations navigate the complexities of an AI-powered future. Learning leaders must now balance technological innovation with human-centered development approaches. Forward-thinking organizations are investing in expanding their learning teams’ capabilities while simultaneously developing leadership competencies that can drive innovation and performance in this new era.
Complexities
The intersection of learning teams and leadership faces several significant challenges, as evidenced by the Brandon Hall GroupTM research reports, The Learning Revolution and HR Outlook 2025.
✦ Competency development barriers:
Research shows the most valuable competencies for L&D practitioners are:
✦ Misalignment between learning strategy and leadership vision:
75% of organizations cite improving alignment between learning strategy and business goals as their top priority for 2025.
✦ Measurement paralysis:
64% of organizations identify improving learning measurement and analytics as a critical focus area.
✦ Struggle with learner engagement:
63% of organizations prioritize improving the learner experience as a key initiative.
✦ Implementation gap:
59% of organizations need to deploy strategies to prove employees can apply learned skills on the job.
✦ Technology integration challenges:
56% of organizations are focused on leveraging AI and automation to support upskilling/reskilling the workforce.
Implications
When learning teams are properly equipped and aligned with leadership objectives, organizations experience enhanced talent retention, improved innovation capabilities, and stronger competitive positioning. The integration of AI and emerging technologies in learning and leadership development creates opportunities for more personalized, scalable, and effective development programs. Organizations that successfully bridge the gap between learning teams and leadership will be better positioned to build agile, future-ready workforces capable of navigating continuous change.
Critical Questions
Learning and leadership professionals must address these fundamental questions to ensure successful transformation:
- How can we develop learning teams that effectively support leadership development in an AI-driven environment?
- How can learning teams measure and demonstrate their impact on leadership effectiveness?
- What competencies should learning teams prioritize to drive leadership excellence?
- What role should AI play in leadership development and learning team operations?
- How can we ensure learning teams and leadership remain aligned with business objectives?
Brandon Hall Group™ POV
01 Build AI-Empowered Learning Teams
Learning teams must embrace AI as a core enabler of leadership development. However, our research shows that nearly 25% of organizations have identified no real benefit to incorporating AI technology, which is concerning. Organizations need to overcome key barriers including data privacy concerns (59%), lack of AI expertise (59%), and regulatory concerns (44%). Success requires developing clear AI integration strategies that focus on reducing training costs, enabling personalized learning experiences, and improving analytics capabilities. Learning teams should prioritize AI applications that can demonstrate measurable impact on leadership development outcomes while maintaining appropriate governance and security protocols.
02 Develop Data-Driven Leadership Strategies
With 64% of organizations prioritizing improved learning measurement and analytics, the shift to data-driven leadership development is crucial. Organizations must move beyond basic metrics to establish analytics frameworks that connect learning initiatives to leadership outcomes. This involves implementing clear success indicators, leveraging predictive analytics for skill gap identification, and creating feedback loops that inform continuous improvement. Forward-thinking organizations are already expanding their L&D teams to include data scientists and analytics specialists who can translate learning data into actionable leadership insights.
03 Create Integrated Learning Ecosystems
The research indicates that 59% of organizations need better strategies to prove skills application on the job. Learning teams must create development ecosystems that support continuous leadership development through multiple channels. This means moving beyond traditional program-based approaches to integrate formal training, experiential learning, coaching, and technology-enabled support tools. Leading organizations are pioneering immersive, adaptive learning ecosystems that seamlessly integrate learning with work and innovation, creating environments where leadership development becomes part of daily operations.
04 Foster Collaborative Innovation
With 72% of L&D practitioners citing collaboration as a crucial competency, learning teams must work closely with leadership to create environments that encourage experimentation and innovation. This involves developing frameworks for rapid prototyping of learning initiatives and establishing feedback mechanisms that accelerate learning and adaptation. The goal is to create a culture where learning and leadership development are seen as collaborative endeavors rather than separate functions, leading to more effective and sustainable development outcomes.
