Taking Back Control of Your L&D Strategy
- Matt Williams
- May 8
- 2 min read
If you’re an L&D manager, this might sound familiar:
You start your week with a plan – then the requests start rolling in.
“Can we get training on this?”
“Can you fix this issue with onboarding?”
“We’ve got new starters – what’s the induction plan?”
Suddenly, you’re not leading a learning strategy. You’re reacting to a queue of requests.
You’re a firefighter, not a strategist. And the worst part? Everyone sees you as ‘useful’ but few see you as essential.
It’s time to stop the cycle. It’s time to take back control.
From Reactive to Strategic
Reactive L&D is exhausting – and ineffective. It keeps you busy, but it rarely delivers long-term value. You’re constantly responding to symptoms instead of solving root causes.
Strategic L&D, on the other hand, is proactive. It’s:
Tied to business goals
Focused on capability, not content
Measured by impact, not attendance
Aligned with performance, not just delivery
Making this shift isn’t easy. But it’s necessary if you want to be more than a training provider – you want to be a partner in growth.
What’s Really Getting in the Way?
Most L&D managers know what good looks like. They want to be more strategic. But they’re trapped by:
Lack of time
Competing priorities
Unclear business alignment
Low stakeholder engagement
Pressure to ‘just get it done’
And often, a lack of support. L&D leaders are expected to develop everyone else – yet rarely get coaching or development themselves.
That’s where the TwentyOne Leadership L&D Academy comes in.
The L&D Academy: Your Launchpad to Strategic Leadership
The L&D Academy is built for people exactly like you – L&D professionals who are ready to stop spinning plates and start shaping outcomes.
We help you:
Build a learning strategy that drives real business impact
Influence stakeholders and secure buy-in
Prioritise what matters (and say no to what doesn’t)
Create a future-focused roadmap for your L&D team
Develop your personal leadership skills and presence
Whether you’re leading a team or flying solo, you’ll gain the confidence, clarity and tools to lead – not just deliver.
Taking Back Control Starts with One Decision
If you’re tired of feeling like you’re stuck on a treadmill – delivering, fixing, responding – take a step back. Ask yourself:
Am I leading the learning agenda?
Or am I letting others dictate it?
Leadership isn’t about working harder. It’s about working smarter, more intentionally and more strategically.
At the TwentyOne Leadership L&D Academy, we help you stop reacting and start leading – for your organisation, your team and your career.
Email me matt@twentyoneleadership.com to learn more, or book a call to see how we can support your next chapter.
