It’s time to talk about a problem that’s quietly draining the potential of organisations everywhere: Learning and Development (L&D) leaders being locked out of strategic decision-making.

According to a recent Financial Times article, nearly half of Chief Learning Officers (CLOs) report feeling only "somewhat connected" or even "very disconnected" from their organisation’s strategy. That’s half of your L&D leadership operating in the dark, trying to develop employees without a clear business direction.

This isn’t just frustrating—it’s expensive.

The Cost of Misalignment

When L&D isn’t in sync with business strategy, training becomes a box-ticking exercise rather than a performance-driving powerhouse. Courses are rolled out that don’t address business pain points, employees disengage, and learning investments fail to translate into real-world impact.

Here’s the thing: Companies already know they need better measurement of L&D effectiveness. The good news? There’s a shift happening—forward-thinking CLOs are beginning to measure training success against business KPIs rather than just completion rates and feedback scores.

Why does this matter? Because if L&D is proving its impact on business metrics—sales, productivity, innovation, customer retention—it stops being seen as a “nice-to-have” and starts being recognised as a strategic driver of growth.

AI, Engagement, and the Future of Learning

Some organisations are already leading the way. Standard Chartered Bank, for example, is rolling out an AI Learning Hub to take employees from foundational AI knowledge to hands-on experimentation. This isn’t just about digital upskilling—it’s about making sure employees can use AI to increase productivity and business growth.

But technology alone isn’t the answer. One of the biggest reasons corporate training fails is because it’s boring, too long, or irrelevant. Employees expect training that matches the quality of consumer digital experiences—engaging, interactive, and personalised.

If learning isn’t designed to be engaging, relevant, and easy to complete, employees will either abandon it—or worse—try to game the system. (Looking at you, EY, where employees were fired for attending multiple online classes at once!)

Rethinking Learning Beyond the Classroom

The best CLOs aren’t just thinking about courses—they’re thinking about learning experiences. Sometimes, the best leadership lessons come from unexpected places—like the CLO who applied lessons from managing a horse farm to drive performance and leadership development.

This reinforces a critical truth: L&D should be about embedding learning in everyday work, not just pushing content.

So, What Needs to Change?

1. CLOs Need a Seat at the Strategy Table. L&D should be involved in business planning, transformation initiatives, and workforce planning—not just training rollouts.

2. Learning Must Be Measured Like Any Other Business Investment. If it doesn’t link to business KPIs, it’s not moving the needle.

3. Training Must Be Engaging and Designed for How People Actually Learn. Interactive, real-world application beats passive, forgettable content.

4. AI & New Tech Should Be Used to Drive Business Outcomes, Not Just "Digital Learning for the Sake of It". Standard Chartered’s AI Learning Hub is a great example of how to do it right.

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Final Thought: Why Learning & Development Leaders Need a Seat at the Strategic Table - a Competitive Advantage

Companies that get L&D right don’t just train employees—they equip them to solve business problems. Learning & development leaders need a seat at the strategic table, because it boosts performance, engagement, and innovation—and ultimately, the bottom line.

So, CLOs—it’s time to make your impact known. And CEOs—it’s time to let them.

Want to ensure your L&D strategy is driving real business results?

Let’s chat about how Popcorn Learning Agency can help make that happen. 🚀