New Year. New Budget. New Possibilities for L&D.

Why January Matters More Than We Admit

January is a deceptively dangerous time for L&D. Not because of funding cuts or rising demand, but because this is when old habits quietly reassert themselves. Budgets are signed off, expectations are set, and many L&D teams drift back into being fast, helpful, and endlessly busy, mistaking movement for momentum.

I see it every year. And earlier in my own career, I was part of the problem.

When Being Busy Feels Like Progress

The requests arrive quickly. “We need training.” “Can you build a programme?” “Can you roll this out fast?” Saying yes feels safe. It feels useful. It feels like progress. But too often, it’s just motion, activity that looks good on a plan while the real performance issues remain untouched.

The uncomfortable reality is this: most L&D budgets aren’t wasted. They’re misdirected. Not because L&D lacks skill or intent, but because teams are pulled into solving the wrong problems at speed.

The Choice High-Impact L&D Teams Make

The L&D teams that create genuine impact make a different choice. They slow the conversation down before speeding delivery up. They diagnose before they design. They challenge leaders respectfully but directly, even when it feels uncomfortable.

At that point, L&D stops being a provider of learning and starts acting as a capability consultant.

From Courses to Capability

When that shift happens, the conversation changes. It’s no longer about courses, attendance, or completion rates. It becomes about performance, confidence, leadership behaviour, and the systems that either enable people to succeed or quietly get in their way.

Budgets begin to work harder because they’re aimed at the right problems, not just the loudest ones.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

Organisations are asking more of L&D than ever before, more insight, more challenge, more evidence that learning is actually changing something meaningful. And yet many teams are still rewarded for speed and delivery rather than judgement and impact.

That tension isn’t going away this year. If anything, it’s sharpening.

Why I Built the L&D Academy

I created the TwentyOne Leadership L&D Academy because I was constantly seeing capable, thoughtful L&D professionals undervalue themselves. The Academy exists to build the confidence, language, and consulting capability L&D teams need to operate with real credibility, not by delivering more, but by influencing better.

As we move into this year, I’ll be sharing more about the next phase of the Academy. It’s bolder, more focused, and shaped directly by what I’ve seen working alongside L&D teams under real organisational pressure.

The Real Question for This Year

A new year and a new budget don’t guarantee new results. But they do offer a moment of choice.

Stay busy and safe. Or step into influence.

New possibilities are there. The question is whether L&D is ready to claim them?

Email me matt@twentyoneleadership.com