Is Leadership Training Broken? Rethinking Self-Awareness, AI and the Future of L&D | L&D Disrupt | Episode 113

AI is changing the way we learn and work, but what does that mean for the future of L&D?Pauline, VP of People at HowNow, is joined by Toby Newman, Founder of Control Coaching Diagnostics, to explore why self-awareness, psychological safety and learning in the flow of work are becoming increasingly important.They discuss why traditional leadership training and LMSs often fail to drive real behavioural change, how L&D can shift from controlling knowledge to enabling it, and what AI agents could mean for personalised learning and coaching. Toby also shares why L&D needs to work more closely with IT and become a translator between technology and people.00:00 Welcome and Intro03:00 Toby’s L&D Origin Story04:13 Redundancy to New Venture05:46 Why Self Awareness Matters08:22 Self Awareness as Skill12:30 Practical Awareness Habits15:41 Psych Safety and Vulnerability19:24 Lead Yourself First20:37 Team Charters and RACI24:52 What’s Broken in Leadership Training28:23 Train Leaders Early29:18 Death of the LMS30:02 Metrics vs Real Impact33:24 Self Directed Learning36:36 AI Hype vs Reality38:04 L&D as Translator42:32 AI Agents Coaching46:28 Knowledge Ownership Shift51:28 Quality Control Debate55:31 Next 12 Months Disruption58:37 Wrap Up and Connect