For decades, Learning and Development (L&D) has battled for its place at the strategic table—often pigeonholed as a support function or cost center. But as businesses grapple with rapid change, digital transformation, and AI disruption, a true opportunity has emerged: for L&D to not just support, but actively drive business strategy.
That shift, however, requires moving beyond “training requests” and “program delivery.” It demands the development of a robust operating model—what we call LearnOps—that positions L&D as a value-generating partner. As Cognota CEO Ryan Austin emphasized in a recent podcast with David Wentworth
(VP, Talent Platform Evangelist at Schoox), “This is more than a shift. It’s a transformation.”
Let’s break down the key takeaways from the conversation—along with actionable insights—for learning leaders ready to evolve from order-taker to strategic partner.
1. There Is a Transformation Happening—But Many L&D Teams Haven’t Caught Up
Austin believes the momentum toward strategic L&D is real: “This time feels different… we’re seeing governance and structural shifts in how learning is managed.”
One major shift? Learning functions increasingly rolling into Talent rather than just HR—signaling an enterprise-wide effort to tie learning closer to performance, growth, and workforce planning.
🚨 Warning sign: While the industry talks transformation, many L&D teams are still focused on leadership training and compliance—echoes of a past era. The gap between talking strategy and executing strategically is where opportunity lies.
2. The Foundation Is Learning Operations (LearnOps)
If L&D is to deliver business impact, it must first become operationally sound. This means establishing structured systems to manage:
- Requests and intake from business units
- Learning project workflows
- Resource allocation and capacity
- Content, budget, and facilitator management
- ROI measurement and reporting
As Austin puts it, “Learning operations is the foundational work that allows you to be more strategic.”
The LearnOps framework, developed by Cognota, outlines five core pillars:
- Align – Link learning strategy to corporate objectives
- Plan – Scope and prioritize learning programs
- Deliver – Execute projects effectively
- Measure – Assess impact and ROI
- Optimize – Use data to continuously improve
👉 Learn more: LearnOps Framework Overview
3. Stop Taking Orders. Start Partnering with the Business.
Business leaders rarely come to L&D with, “Help us solve a capability gap.” More often, they show up with, “We need a workshop next week.”
That’s the trap: when L&D becomes a service desk, its strategic potential is lost.
Instead, L&D must actively seek partnerships with high-value business units—ideally those tied directly to corporate goals. As Ryan says, “Nobody is sitting around thinking, ‘How do we get learning involved?’ That’s your job.”
✅ Action Step: Identify one or two departments whose goals align with your company’s top priorities for the year. Book time with their leaders and ask:
- What are your biggest challenges this quarter?
- Where could capability or behavior change drive impact?
- Can we collaborate on a learning plan tied to your KPIs?
4. Run L&D Like a Business—Even If It’s Not a Business
Let’s be clear: internal L&D teams are not revenue-generating businesses. But they do need to operate like business units.
That means:
- Being accountable for budget and resource management
- Showing how investments tie to outcomes
- Aligning time and money spent with the organization’s top goals
Austin emphasizes, “You don’t need to prove ROI for every dollar. Just show that you’re managing capital wisely and building programs that map to impact.”
Cognota’s platform, combined with its ROI Methodology®, enables L&D leaders to forecast, track, and communicate value—without needing to become data scientists overnight.
5. Start with the Strategy: Top-Down + Bottom-Up Planning
Great learning strategies don’t begin with courses. They begin with the company’s strategic plan.
Top-down alignment means understanding:
- Where the company wants to go in 1, 3, and 5 years
- What capabilities are needed to get there
- Which workforce segments are mission-critical
Then, match that with bottom-up insight from business unit partners who are closest to execution.
💡 Pro Tip: If your organization doesn’t share strategic plans transparently, ask your CEO or COO for a briefing—or dig through investor reports and internal memos. That effort alone helps position you as a strategic operator.
6. Data and AI Are Game-Changers—But Only If You’re Ready
AI is powerful—but only if your learning operations are structured. Otherwise, you risk automating inefficiency.
According to Austin, many teams are turning to AI to accelerate content creation, reduce bottlenecks, and optimize decision-making—but only after they’ve built disciplined processes and data hygiene.
⚙️ Cognota’s own AI-powered Sidekick helps automate project and task management, generate reports, and identify trends. But the real magic? It’s built on data you already structure in the LearnOps platform.
7. You Deserve a Seat at the Table—But You Must Earn It
Austin summed it up best: “You can have a seat at the table as soon as you can operate L&D like a business.”
It starts with shifting the mindset:
- From reactive to proactive
- From isolated to integrated
- From cost center to value driver
L&D is one of the few functions with visibility across the entire organization. With the right tools, data, and partnerships, learning leaders can become indispensable in achieving strategic outcomes.
Final Thoughts: The Strategic Path Forward
Rethinking L&D’s role isn’t a quick fix—it’s a multi-year transformation. But the first step is simple:
📍 Stop waiting for permission. Start acting like a partner.
Build a learning operations foundation. Align your efforts to business strategy. Prioritize relationships that drive impact. Then layer on data, measurement, and technology to amplify your results.
You’ll not only elevate your team—you’ll redefine what’s possible for L&D.
🚀 Want to Learn More?
Join the movement at LearnOps.com and explore how Cognota powers strategic L&D with our purpose-built LearnOps platform.
Or book a customized consultation to discover how your team can evolve from order-taker to strategic powerhouse.
