The first article of this three-part series discussed the evolution of the instructor role. The second article explored evolving learner expectations and preferences. Here, we’ll discuss the evolution of the L&D leader’s role.
Over the years, the role of the learning and development (L&D) leader has evolved significantly to keep pace with changing business needs and employee expectations. Advancements in technology, market changes and more have reshaped how L&D leaders support their organizations.
Let’s consider the key shifts that have impacted how L&D leaders operate today, along with the skills they need to drive the business forward.
L&D Across the Employee Lifecycle
Historically, training was largely seen as a “one-time event” where employees would come to a classroom, complete training and then be done, says Amy DuVernet, Ph.D., CPTM, vice president of learning products at Training Industry.
Today, L&D is more often viewed as a strategic tool for shaping the employee experience and addressing business challenges like employee engagement and retention. “We really are trying to think through that employee lifecycle and how we meet learners at each of their various learning need points,” DuVernet says. This evolution is especially important as employee engagement remains a key challenge for many organizations: Gallup research from early 2025 found that just 31% of employees are engaged at work. The research also found that younger workers, in particular, place a high value on career development, positioning L&D as a critical lever for improving engagement.
Reflecting this broader, more continuous approach, the language has evolved too. DuVernet notes a growing shift away from the word training toward terms like learning, learning and development, or talent development to describe the function.
L&D Job Title Shifts
L&D job titles have also shifted. DuVernet says titles like “talent development specialist,” “performance consultant” and “organizational development specialist” point to L&D’s increased alignment with human resources (HR) and organizational development efforts.
Cheryl Haga, CPTM, senior director, talent enablement at Aurora, has observed a similar trend. When she entered the industry around 2012, titles were “very clearly L&D or training focused,” with roles like “instructional designer” or “learning architect” being common. “Now what I’m seeing is that they tend to be a little bit more all-encompassing,” Haga says, often including terms like “talent enablement” within job titles (e.g., “talent enablement specialist”).
In addition, DuVernet says, titles like “trainer” have evolved into “facilitator,” reflecting a shift from passive instruction to more active learning experiences. Dr. Carol Gravel, CPTM, managing director and principal consultant at BINNACLE and a Training Industry Courses instructor, echoes this sentiment. She emphasizes that training alone is no longer the primary focus. Instead, the role is increasingly centered on enabling performance: L&D leaders are “human performance consultants,” and their objective is to ensure that people perform to the best of their ability, she explains.
Lastly, as technology has advanced, technology-specific roles have emerged, with titles like “eLearning specialist” and “digital learning manager,” DuVernet says.
Becoming a Strategic Partner
Strategic alignment has long been vital to the training function, and L&D leaders’, success. In fact, ongoing Training Industry research found that it’s the most important of the eight process capabilities of great training organizations.
Today, “There’s a lot more strategic work being done to understand, ‘How do I best partner with my stakeholders? How do I really understand their needs?’” DuVernet says. L&D leaders want to be “an active participant in helping to drive the business forward,” not order-takers.
Haga shares, “I do think we’ve made leaps and bounds in getting seats at the table, and I think that’s primarily because we are starting to use the same language as our business, and we’re starting to be much more metrics driven.” That said, “There’s still a long way to go.”
Here are a few tips that can help:
Build business acumen:
“You need to be able to not only voice what training can bring to the table but really have a deep understanding of how other businesses or other functions within the business operate,” DuVernet says.
Part of building business acumen is, as Haga shared, speaking the language of the business. For example, instead of reporting how many learners completed a data security training, consider reporting how many fewer security incidents occurred as a result, or how much potential financial risk was mitigated. Communicating outcomes in ways that matter to the business builds credibility and demonstrates L&D’s strategic value.
Focus on relationship building and creating trust:
Gaining influence as a strategic partner takes time and is built on a foundation of trust. And trust is built by consistently adding value, operating with integrity and developing strong relationships with stakeholders, DuVernet says.
Collaborate cross-functionally:
Collaborating with other business leaders (e.g., in HR, operations, sales, IT, etc.) helps L&D gain a better understanding of business priorities and pain points.
By working cross-functionally, L&D leaders can design training solutions that are aligned with broader business goals. For instance, collaborating with sales leaders can uncover opportunities for coaching or product training that can directly impact revenue.
Shifts in L&D Skills and Responsibilities
In the past, the L&D leader’s role involved much more administrative and scheduling work, Gravel says. The rise of learning management systems (LMSs) and other technologies has helped automate many of those tasks, freeing up time for L&D professionals to focus on more strategic initiatives. DuVernet agrees that “logistics have become a lot easier to manage with technology.”
Although the core responsibilities of the training manager job role identified through Training Industry research stand the test of time, new skill needs have inevitably emerged, such as:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) Skills: AI-powered tools can help learning leaders optimize time and resources, and learning to use these tools is essential to stay ahead of the curve. However, it’s important to adopt a human-centered approach, Gravel says. While AI can streamline processes, human oversight is critical to mitigate potential bias, ensure compliance and maintain accuracy.
- Data Fluency: With advancements in learning technologies, L&D leaders now have access to more data than ever before. As DuVernet explains, this greater availability of data means that L&D professionals must be fluent in interpreting it. Understanding which data points matter, how to analyze them and how to draw actionable insights is a key differentiator for learning leaders.
- Relationship Building: As AI and other technologies take on more administrative tasks, L&D leaders have more time to focus on human relationships. Building connections with stakeholders and cross-functional business leaders is essential for understanding organizational goals, gaining trust and ensuring learning initiatives are aligned with business needs.
- Storytelling: Storytelling has become a key skill for L&D not only to make complex concepts more relatable for learners but also to communicate the value of learning programs to stakeholders. “People love to hear stories,” Haga shares.
Final Thoughts
The L&D leader’s role has clearly shifted over the past 15, 10 and even five years, and it will continue to evolve in the future. However, while new skill needs have emerged, the core responsibilities, especially strategic alignment, have remained consistent.
Ultimately, today’s L&D leaders are expected to act as strategic consultants to the business, offering skills-based solutions that help organizations navigate change and stay competitive. By developing AI skills, strengthening data fluency and honing human skills like storytelling and relationship building, they can keep their own skill sets sharp and continue delivering programs that drive impact.
