The Fastest Way to Lose Credibility in L&D? Say Yes Too Quickly.

Early in my career, I believed credibility in L&D came from being helpful. From responding quickly. From saying yes.

Yes to the programme. Yes to the workshop. Yes to the deadline that everyone knew was unrealistic.

Like many L&D professionals, I was rewarded for this behaviour. I was busy. I was reliable. I was thanked. And for a while, that felt like success.

But something didn’t add up.

When Being Helpful Isn’t the Same as Being Valuable

Over time, I noticed a pattern. The same issues kept reappearing. Leaders felt satisfied in the moment but frustrated a few months later. We were delivering more learning, yet performance wasn’t shifting in any meaningful way.

It took working on both sides of the fence, first as an internal L&D manager, and later as a consultant working with senior leaders, to fully understand what was happening.

Every time L&D says yes too quickly, something is lost.

We lose the opportunity to think. We lose the chance to influence. And quietly, we lose credibility.

Where Credibility Is Actually Built

The most credible L&D functions I have worked with do not start with solutions. They start with curiosity.

They slow the conversation down. They ask what is really happening. They explore what has changed, what is getting in the way, and what success would genuinely look like.

Sometimes that leads to training. Often, it doesn’t.

This is where L&D influence is either gained or lost.

The Courage to Say “Not Yet”

Here is the uncomfortable truth. Saying no, or at least “not yet”, is often the moment credibility is built.

When L&D says, “Let’s diagnose this properly before we build anything,” it demonstrates confidence. It shows respect for the complexity of the challenge. And it positions learning as a thinking partner rather than an order-taking function.

Helpful L&D gets thanked. Influential L&D gets invited back.

Building This Capability Deliberately

This shift doesn’t happen by accident. Most L&D professionals were never trained to diagnose performance problems, challenge leaders constructively, or hold their nerve when training isn’t the answer.

That gap is exactly why I created the TwentyOne Leadership L&D Academy.

The Academy is designed to help L&D professionals move from being reactive and helpful to confident, credible and influential. It focuses on how you think, how you show up with leaders, and how you make sound decisions about when learning is, and isn’t, the right response.

A Simple Invitation

If any of this feels familiar, it’s probably because you’re already sensing that being busy isn’t the same as being impactful.

If you want to build the confidence and capability to slow conversations down, ask better questions, and earn real influence with leaders, the TwentyOne Leadership L&D Academy might be a good next step.

If you’re curious, drop me a message and let’s start a proper conversation, before anyone builds another unnecessary workshop.

matt@twentyoneleadership.com