Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2025 - 55

CAN AI SAVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT?
JD DILLON
WHAT'S NEXT
IN TECH
I was a great manager.
It's been a hot minute since my last
supervisory gig, but I was someone's
boss for most of my first 15 working
years. I wasn't perfect. It took me a
while to balance the operational and
people sides of the role. I eventually
figured out how to take care of a team
while hitting business metrics. I have
lots of former peers to thank for my
management education. Sadly, I won't
be sending learning and development
(L&D) a fruit basket.
THE LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT GAP
I became a great manager despite the
training I received - not because of
it. My first management classes came
months after my promotion. At my next
job, I wasn't scheduled for training
because my boss wouldn't spare the
time. I attended a few sessions that
sounded especially important on my
days off. Despite managing teams
ranging from 10 to 300 people across
global brands for over a decade, I never
completed a formal training program.
That may be my abridged leadership
development story, but it's far from unique.
The Chartered
Management Institute
reports that 82% of new bosses are
" accidental managers " with little-to-no
formal training. CEB Global found that 60%
of new managers fail within two years. It's
no wonder Josh Bersin cited only 25%
of organizations see high value in their
leadership development programs.
SET UP TO FAIL
Today's managers face increasingly
heavy workloads and shifting team
needs, which are resulting in alarming
burnout rates. Tasked with everything
from engagement to safety, they're
simply not getting the support they
need to succeed. Traditional leadership
development isn't working. L&D may not
be able to change the manager's role or
fix broken processes, but surely we can
find better ways to equip managers with
the skills and confidence to thrive.
It's time for a new approach. L&D must
leave familiar models behind and move
on to strategies that meet managers
amid their daily chaos. We must take a
lesson from functions that are turning to
emerging technology, including artificial
intelligence (AI), to find new solutions to
long-standing challenges.
AI CAN'T CLOSE
THE LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT GAP
ON ITS OWN.
A NEW BEST FRIEND
Technology won't transform
inexperienced managers into veterans
overnight, but an AI-enabled ecosystem
can significantly enhance their working
and learning experience.
AI can lighten managers' loads by
automating routine tasks like approving
shift trades, assigning tasks and
responding to common employee
questions. Digital assistants can provide
on-demand support in the workflow,
reducing the amount of information
managers must retain to handle new or
complex tasks. By analyzing operational
data, AI can nudge managers to focus
on employees in need of timely support.
AI tools can also boost skill-building
without requiring classroom time. Digital
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - WINTER 2025 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
avatars can simulate complex scenarios,
giving managers risk-free opportunities
to practice difficult conversations with
employees or customers. AI-powered
platforms can personalize
learning
by leveraging managers' experience,
training history and performance data.
This tech-driven approach accelerates
development for experienced managers
by eliminating unnecessary activities
while allowing each person to progress
at their own pace.
MINDSET FIRST
This is a technology story, but AI can't
close the leadership development gap
on its own. To realize this potential
future, L&D must shift our perspective.
We must evolve from a programmatic
approach, anchored in classrooms and
courses, to an always-on enablement
system that applies a purposeful blend
of structured and unstructured tactics.
AI could have helped me become an
even better manager. I would've relied
on peers less, guessed less, and felt
more confident in my decisions. Most
importantly, I would've felt the company
was truly invested in my success
because it provided me with the tools I
needed to perform at my best - not just
a list of courses I could never find the
time to attend.
Can AI save leadership development? I
think so.
JD Dillon is a veteran talent development
leader, former Disney cast member
and author of " The Modern Learning
Ecosystem. " With more than 25 years
of experience in operations and talent
development, JD now helps people
do their best work every day as chief
learning architect at Axonify and founder
of LearnGeek. Email JD.
55
https://www.managers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CMI_BMB_GoodManagment_Report.pdf https://www.inc.com/jeff-miller/more-than-half-of-new-managers-fail-heres-how-to-a.html https://joshbersin.com/2023/11/companies-have-been-neglecting-their-leadership-and-it-shows/ https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine
Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2025

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