🚨88% of leaders say the future belongs to those who can learn & adapt, not those with the most expertise or experience
That single line from Hult Ashridge Executive Education's 2026 Leadership Learning Index should rewire how every board & CHRO thinks about leadership development
Drawn from 1,015 leaders across 5 regions, 6 seniority levels & 17 sectors, HALLI is the largest study of its kind on how leaders actually learn 🎯
The numbers worth sitting with 👇🏼
🔹 95% are motivated to keep learning & developing new skills
🔹 92% say their organisation is evolving to keep pace with external change
🔹 87% believe their organisation is doing enough to develop the next generation of leaders
🔹 86% say sufficient time is allocated to learning
🔹 Yet lack of time is the single biggest barrier to actually accessing it
Welcome to the time-to-learn paradox 🔻
3 uncomfortable truths:
1️⃣ Optimism is not shared equally
67% of C-suite leaders strongly agree they are motivated to keep learning
Only 48% of 1st line managers say the same
The higher you sit, the brighter the future of learning looks
Is that advantage, blindness, or a bubble?
2️⃣ The most effective learning is the least used
Experiential learning is rated highly effective by 94% of leaders — but only 17% of organisations offer it
Learning communities: 92% effectiveness, 12% availability
Meanwhile, in-company courses dominate simply because they are easy to deliver
The effectiveness gap is where ROI quietly leaks
3️⃣ AI literacy matters, but human leadership matters more
93% of leaders agree that in the age of AI, leaders must become experts on human behaviour
Communication, empathy & strategic thinking outranked AI literacy as the most critical capabilities for future success
The organisations that win the next decade will upskill both sides of that equation
If your senior leaders feel the learning environment is thriving but your frontline managers do not, whose reality is shaping your L&D strategy?
That gap 🕳️ is where future leadership pipelines quietly break
But don't take my word for it, take it from a Regional VP & GM of an industrial business who was advised by HR to uplift his leadership if he wanted to be considered for a higher-level promotion. During our engagement, he was promoted to SVP :"Working with Navid has been a truly enlightening & enjoyable experience. Navid’s insightful guidance & the tools we used, such as the Hogan Assessments, equipped me with data & strategies that I plan to apply in my new role. Throughout our journey, I became more empathetic & aware of my reactions, even acknowledging my excitable nature. Navid’s ability to appreciate my openness & honesty made our sessions incredibly productive. Our coaching journey was highly effective in maximizing my impact as an executive. His coaching has not only enhanced my professional skills but also my personal growth, making me more approachable & empathetic."
#Leadership #FutureOfLearning #TransitionIQ
About Navid Nazemian
Ranked as the world’s #1 Executive Coach by CEO Today for the third year running, I partner with senior leaders to navigate complexity, accelerate performance, and lead through critical transitions. Over the past two decades, I’ve supported hundreds of executives in overcoming unproductive thinking and solving their most complex leadership challenges—helping their organizations build world-class cultures and create lasting value.
If you’d like to reflect on a leadership challenge, an upcoming transition, or how I might support you, you’re very welcome to reply directly to this email.
You can also:
1. Connect with me on LinkedIn for additional leadership insights
2. Explore my international best-selling book "Mastering Executive Transitions: The Definitive Guide" described by Dr. Marshall Goldsmith as “THE ultimate guide to executive transitions to help leaders achieve their highest potential”
3. Enrol in my newly launched e-Learning programme Mastering Leadership Transitions - my transition methodology in a self-paced format for leaders at every level
4. Work with me on a per-session basis via EveryExpert - a flexible alternative to a full coaching engagement, starting with a complimentary 15-minute Chemistry Call
What's Next? More insights on leadership, transitions, and executive effectiveness are coming your way next week. I’d genuinely value your perspective—feel free to share your reflections by replying to this email. I read every response.
Navid
The Effective Communicator: A book I recommend
Many leaders don’t fail on strategy. They fail on communication.
My friend
Oliver Aust’s new book,
The Effective Communicator, shows what the top 1% of leaders do differently. Oliver takes us inside two companies as a crisis unfolds. Both leaders are new in their roles. One does what most leaders do. The other communicates in a way that builds trust, creates clarity and moves people to act. Part leadership story, part practical guide, the book includes 50 frameworks used by more than 300 CEOs and founders in boardrooms, town halls, negotiations and crises.
The book won’t officially launch until early 2027, but you can get exclusive early access to the digital version now here: https://oliveraust.com/
