These turbulent times in organizations along with rapid changes in L&D expectations and practices call for a new way of leading in the learning and development space. Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers offer valuable, well-considered advice in their new book, The L&D Leader, which publishes this month. Their deep L&D experience and refreshing point of view give these two particular authors an edge in charting a new map for L&D leadership.
In the book, Laura and Michelle position leadership as a form of navigation, which seems to me the exact right metaphor for describing leading L&D through the rough seas we’re sailing nowadays.
They are not talking about a GPS approach to navigation, where you identify a specific destination and then follow prescribed turns, including unsolicited advice on getting around obstacles. No, Laura and Michelle are talking about following in the tradition of ancient Polynesian mariners. Those wayfarers navigate successfully in the open ocean by relying on learned patterns in the stars, currents, and winds – constantly reading their environment and making corrections as the situation warrants. They combine shared experience with deep intuition to sail a course without any buoys to mark the passage. They know where they want to go, but also respond to the call of the sea in making adjustments to their destination.
Taking cues from these sailors about what is necessary to pilot in the kind of unmarked swirl that needs to be navigated in our modern context, Laura and Michelle set out to teach L&D leaders how to create their own star maps, how to set their course, how to sense the right direction, how to read the currents, and how to adjust their sails.
Navigation principles
The L&D Leader describes a set of time-tested navigation principles that provide guidance and allow for customization and nuance and context. The principles are organized in three categories: tuning in, responding, and improving (TRI).
- Tuning in principles highlight the critically important “habit of active listening and observation” that allows leaders to “understand the deeper patterns and opportunities” – to anticipate waves of change, to work proactively even in changing currents, and to attend to culture and organizational dynamics.
- Responding principles are about tapping into unique expertise around learning and performance enablement, using tried and true approaches as well as emerging technology and techniques to navigate a way forward. At its essence, responding is the “intentional application of professional insight.”
- Improving principles give leaders advice on monitoring and adapting their course. Rather than using evaluation and feedback as a “backward-looking proof exercise,” improving requires leaders to engage in “forward-looking adaptation” where “success comes from… continuously sensing, responding, and refining their approach.”
The chapters that overview the TRI categories lay out a clear explanation of the underlying principles in each area, and they contain many rich features beyond that. There are relatable examples from the field, actionable suggestions on overcoming common barriers, helpful references to industry models that can provide valuable maps for the work, action steps customized for aspiring leaders and for seasoned leaders, and “field notebook” questions that prompt reflection and personalization. Additional chapters in the book describe six extended case studies that demonstrate the use of the principles in a variety of contexts.
Mindsets for effective navigation
In addition to those navigation foundations, Laura and Michelle remind leaders of the skills they apply in preparing the organization’s employees for the weather ahead. These include being smartly BOLD: business-first, open-minded, leading and learning, and deliberate in decision-making, aided by our “superpowers” of presence (how we show up and interact), influence (how we shape systems and processes), and expertise (how we apply our unique knowledge). Calibrating and honing these skills and attitudes prepares leaders to take whatever journeys their organizations require.
- Business-first: committing to navigating toward business outcomes rather than being solely concerned with supporting learning
- Open-minded: taking on the orientation of an “empathetic explorer” even while holding expertise; acting interdependently, being curious about and receptive to multiple perspectives
- Leading and learning: daring to experiment with options and being exemplars in self-development
- Deliberate: making evidence-informed decisions and taking on a change-maker persona rather than being a straightforward service provider
This orientation is an internal compass of “deep, considered boldness that allows [leaders] to apply the TRI principles effectively.” Drawing from their combined expertise working on strategy and L&D team development in organizations, Laura and Michelle offer solid advice for leaders to attend to their own development as well as enabling their teams and the wide organization. And they designed a Navigation Canvas as a template for planning personal development in the ways of navigating.
Five stars!
Books on L&D leadership too often focus on admonishing people, providing condescending imperatives and ignoring the real challenges of working in specific organizational contexts. Laura and Michelle show deep respect for the experience and expertise that L&D leaders bring to organizations and help the leaders in our field to see new ways of using their acquired self-assurance to navigate the storms that batter organizations in our current time.
To my mind, this need to navigate in real time reveals the benefit in putting experienced L&D experts in charge of enablement strategies in organizations; their understanding of learning and performance dynamics and their intuitive access to strategies that lead to success are invaluable. But that’s a discussion for another day.
In all, The L&D Leader is a must-read addition to the L&D bookshelf. It urges leaders to take on a visionary and responsive approach to leading their organizations by using their experience and strengths in nuanced ways. It is clear that these authors understand the L&D landscape and are co-sojourners on the quest for excellence in L&D. Kudos to Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers for an important contribution to L&D lore.
Five stars from your favorite book nerd – I wouldn’t steer you wrong!
The L&D Leader: Principles and practice for delivering business value (2025) by Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers. Kogan Page