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<strong>Build a Modern L&amp;D Team</strong>

Organizations are facing an era of rapid acceleration. As new technology and digital strategies are integrated, workers at all levels will be required to build capability much faster than before, navigating more complex systems and processes. Yet, learning and development (L&amp;D) have lagged in this area, as too many L&amp;D functions still focus on transactional interactions across a broad and complex portfolio while starved for resources.

In L&amp;D’s Playbook for the Digital Age, Brandon Carson argues that it’s time to reorient L&amp;D, take a more proactive role in enabling the workforce, and create a new framework for developing skills and capabilities. L&amp;D leaders must realize that theirs is one of the most critical business functions and must be appropriately funded and resourced to realize the performance gains that are crucial to the business.

L&amp;D cannot be caught standing still. In fact, it needs a new playbook to navigate the radical and complex transformation the digital age demands. Stemming from the sports world, a playbook ensures the players know their roles, connect as a team, and understand the winning strategy and how to execute the game plan. For L&amp;D, a playbook can help build alignment across the team and with stakeholders by being flexible as business needs change.

Carson walks you through the steps to formulate how a new playbook could help align your L&amp;D function—restructuring, new skilling, or rescoping. He asks readers to speak the language of business instead of the language of learning. For example, does your workforce repair aircraft or enable safe flight? In other words, can you be the visionary your organization requires?

L&D’s Playbook for the Digital Age

future of work

Digital &amp; AI

digital transformation

teri.hart

Operations

leadership development

denis.sternberg

learning and development

brady.bair

employee empowerment

employee well-being

learning analytics

team collaboration

Workforce Reskilling

Upskilling Strategies

Technological Convergence

Urbanization and Business Change

Corporate Learning Strategies

Continuous Learning Culture

Data-Driven Learning

AI and Workforce Development

Learning Ecosystems

Digital Age Learning

Human-Machine Collaboration

L&amp;D Strategic Integration

brandon.carson

susan.c.guest

cecilia.lillegard

<div style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #333; line-height: 1.8; max-width: 850px; margin: auto; text-align: justify; font-size: 18px;">
<h4 style="font-size: 1.75rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 2.5rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3;">From Mastery to Fluency: The 30% Rule</h4>
<p style="margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">We often assume that to lead in a digital-first world, we need to go back to school for a degree in data science or computer engineering. In <b><i>The Digital Mindset</i></b>, Paul Leonardi and Tsedal Neeley dismantle this myth. They argue that leaders don’t need mastery; they need fluency.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">The authors introduce the "30% Rule"—the idea that you only need about 30% fluency in technical topics to see the patterns, ask the right questions, and leverage digital tools effectively. For ELE members, this is an empowering shift: it moves the focus away from technical expertise and back toward what you do best—strategic leadership and talent development.</p>


<hr style="border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee; margin: 2.5rem 0;" />

<h4 style="font-size: 1.75rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 2.5rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3;">The Blueprint: Collaboration, Computation, and Change</h4>
<p style="margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">The book organizes the digital mindset into three core approaches that redefine how work gets done. For a senior leader, these are the levers of modern organizational performance:</p>

<ul style="padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;"><b>Collaboration:</b> This isn't just about using Slack or Zoom; it’s about "human-machine partnership." It involves understanding how to treat AI and algorithms as "team members" while maintaining a strong digital presence that fosters trust in a distributed workforce.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;"><b>Computation:</b> Developing a mindset for data means understanding where data comes from, how it is categorized, and—critically—what its biases are. It’s about moving from "gut feel" to "data-informed" by asking the right questions of the models presented to you.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;"><b>Change:</b> In the digital era, change isn't a project with a start and end date; it’s a permanent state of transition. This approach focuses on "adaptive learning" and creating a culture where employees are encouraged to experiment, fail fast, and iterate constantly.</li>
</ul>

<hr style="border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee; margin: 2.5rem 0;" />

<h4 style="font-size: 1.75rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 2.5rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; border-left: 5px solid #cc0000; padding-left: 15px; text-align: left; line-height: 1.3;">Why It Matters for the ELE Community</h4>
<p style="margin-bottom: 1.5rem;">Leonardi and Neeley’s work resonates with the ELE mission to prepare leaders for a complex, tech-driven future:</p>

<ul style="padding-left: 25px; margin-bottom: 2.5rem;">
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;"><b>Bridging the Talent Gap:</b> As HR and L&amp;D leaders, your job is to build a "digital-ready" workforce. This book provides a clear, achievable curriculum for upskilling that doesn't overwhelm employees but rather equips them with the confidence to engage with technology.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;"><b>Leading Through Ambiguity:</b> The "Computation" and "Change" frameworks help ELE members navigate the uncertainty of AI and Big Data, turning "digital exhaustion" into a competitive advantage through better systems and psychological safety.</li>
 	<li style="margin-bottom: 1.2rem;"><b>Redefining the L&amp;D Agenda:</b> It moves L&amp;D from being a "skills provider" to a "mindset architect," ensuring that digital transformation isn't just an IT initiative, but a fundamental cultural shift.</li>
</ul>

<hr style="border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #eee; margin: 2.5rem 0;" />

<div style="font-style: italic; color: #444; background-color: #f4f4f4; padding: 30px; border-radius: 12px; border-right: 5px solid #cc0000;">As we navigate an era defined by data and algorithms, our most valuable asset remains our ability to think critically and act decisively. By embracing the 30% rule, we can strip away the intimidation of technology and reclaim our role as the strategic drivers of organizational evolution. The goal isn't to become a machine—it's to become a leader who knows exactly how to make the machines work for us.</div>
</div>

The Digital Mindset: What It Really Takes to Thrive in the Age of Data, Algorithms, and AI

Strategy

dirk.tussing

innovation

Change Management

systems thinking

adaptive learning

data literacy

organizational culture

L&amp;D strategy

AI governance

AI fluency

digital mindset

talent upskilling

Zurich North America

Starbucks

ELE Group, LLC

Brandon Carson, a keynote speaker at ELE's 2024 Skills-First Chicago Talent Development Conference

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