AI in Corporate Learning: Practical Tips for Real Results
Discover five ways L&D teams can use artificial intelligence (AI) to drive impact for their organization and learners.
Leadership development can be complex and varies in need depending on the organization. But when it’s done well, it has the power to transform organizations. To create programs that are meaningful, effective and aligned with business needs, L&D teams must take a thoughtful and strategic approach. Continue reading to learn five essential strategies to guide developing leadership with practical and impactful strategies.
1. Ensure Alignment With Business Goals
One of the most common challenges in leadership development is a lack of alignment with organizational priorities. According to Kristina Tsiriotakis, senior director, learning and organizational development at D2L, strategic L&D leaders act as a bridge.
“The role of strategic L&D is to understand the organization’s priorities through needs assessments, to identify what is getting in the way of achieving these outcomes, and to communicate this back to senior leaders in a way that resonates to ensure that they fully support and sponsor leadership programs,” she said.
Gaining sponsorship from senior leaders is crucial. When leadership programs are championed from the top, they are seen as business-critical, not “nice to have.” Investing in today’s key leaders and developing a pipeline of future leaders ensures ongoing organizational success.
Ensuring buy in from senior leaders is essential. Sponsorship and advocacy sends a strong message across the business that this program plays a critical role in the organization’s overall success.– Jenna Lauren, L&D partner, D2L
2. Focus on Practical, Relevant Content
Leadership programs are most effective when the content is grounded in real-world application. Avoid overly theoretical approaches and instead create experiences that resonate with learners’ day-to-day realities.
Some best practices include:
- using situational examples that reflect real organizational challenges
- providing time and space for learners to practice skills on the job
- integrating opportunities for mentorship and coaching
- connecting leadership programs directly to performance and talent initiatives
When programs are relevant and clearly tied to organizational success, they earn a stronger seat at the table.
3. Drive Learner Engagement
Even the best-designed leadership program will fall short without strong learner engagement. To achieve this, L&D leaders must understand barriers that prevent learners from participating and design programs that meet learners where they are.
“When it comes to leadership development programming, it’s also crucial to work with leaders and frontline managers to understand any barriers that might hold a learner back from being able to participate in a program,” said Tsiriotakis.
“Meeting the learner where they’re at includes being thoughtful about the best methods of learning like stretch assignments, job shadowing and simulations, and also the best time to go live with your programming.”
Timing, format, and delivery methods all play a role. For example, offering leadership training before a high-performing employee steps into their first management role ensures they—and their teams—are set up for success.
Engagement can also be boosted through:
- gamification and recognition systems
- strong internal communications and storytelling
- continuous feedback to adapt programming
This investment signals organizational commitment to employee development, which in turn improves retention and long-term performance.
4. Share and Measure Impact
Leadership programs gain momentum when their impact is visible. That means measuring success at multiple levels: learner satisfaction, knowledge gained, behavioral change and business results.
“Storytelling and sharing testimonials of the program impact will help build currency to have additional cohorts go through the program,” said Lauren. “If you follow this recipe for success your program will have impact so find those stories and share the success.”
As Lauren alluded to, programs that demonstrate real business impact are far more likely to thrive long term.
It’s also important to ensure your programming is clearly connected to your broader performance and talent programs. Leadership skills that you develop should be the same skills that drive high performance and progression within your organization.– Kristina Tsiriotakis, senior director, learning and organizational development, D2L
5. Build for Continuous Improvement
Finally, the best leadership programs evolve. L&D teams should continually gather feedback, refine content and adapt to new organizational needs. This includes:
- using storytelling and multimedia to bring content to life
- encouraging social learning and peer collaboration
- personalizing development pathways for different leadership levels
- keeping programs connected to performance and career growth frameworks
Strong executive involvement also remains a best practice, ensuring credibility and alignment with organizational vision.
Achieving Impactful Strategies to Develop Leaders
Effective leadership programs don’t happen by accident—they are designed with intention, business alignment, and learner needs at the center. By focusing on alignment, practical content, engagement, impact measurement, and continuous improvement, L&D leaders can build programs that not only develop stronger leaders but also drive meaningful organizational success.
Enjoy a Fresh Take on Corporate L&D
Let Them Cook is a sizzling video series where your hosts, Kristina and Jenna, stir up timely, relevant topics in L&D. From strategy to upskilling, leadership to learner engagement, we serve it all with heart, humor and a side of heat.
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