5 L&D Leaders Share Their Predictions for 2025
As everyone shakes off their holiday fatigue, it’s time to engage again in the tradition that heralds the new working year: predictions! And learning and development (L&D) professionals would be forgiven if they guessed 2025 could be summed up in one word, AI.
Certainly, that was true last year. But as the new year dawns, L&D is at more of a crossroads. AI looms larger than ever, promising a more productive, efficient, and agentic future. At the same time, the skills and qualities that make us uniquely human have never been more important — including our ability to learn and our need to learn from one another.
To get a clearer idea of where we’re going, we asked five industry leaders to weigh in with their predictions for 2025. Let’s peer into their crystal balls and see what they have to say.
Ruth Gotian: Mentorship will take center stage
“Mentoring will take center stage in learning and development,” says Ruth Gotian, chief learning officer at Weill Cornell Medicine, “transforming from a nice-to-have initiative to a critical investment for organizations. Forward-thinking companies will no longer rely on passive or outdated mentorship programs. Instead, they will actively invest in structured, impactful programs that empower mentors, mentees, and the organization as a whole.
“Why? Because the benefits of mentorship are undeniable. Research consistently shows that mentoring boosts innovation, productivity, and promotions while reducing burnout. These outcomes directly impact an organization’s bottom line, making mentoring one of the most powerful retention tools available.
“In a competitive talent landscape, leaders are realizing that employees don’t just want professional development — they want personalized, human connection. Mentorship provides this, fostering a sense of belonging and commitment that goes beyond a paycheck or perks.
“In 2025, I predict organizations will embed mentorship deeply into their culture, equipping leaders at all levels to serve as mentors. With the rise of hybrid work and AI, mentoring will also evolve to include virtual tools, data-driven insights, and innovative formats. But at its core, it will remain rooted in the human connection that drives trust, growth, and long-term success.
“Mentoring isn’t just a strategy — it’s the future of L&D.”
Dr. Terri Horton: L&D leaders will lean into agentic AI
“In 2025,” says Dr. Terri Horton, a work futurist and CEO of FuturePath, LLC. “L&D leaders will increasingly lean into exploring and leveraging agentic AI to harness its power to streamline processes, connect workflows, and upscale learning experiences. Leaning into agentic AI will catalyze the L&D ecosystem to new levels of efficiency and scale.
“What’s exciting about agentic AI is that it can act autonomously and collaborate with other AI agents to connect every step in the L&D process, from needs assessment to content creation, delivery, and evaluation, as well as administrative tasks like scheduling, reminders, and leadership updates.
“In 2025, agentic AI can empower L&D leaders to be more agile, serve as learning visionaries, and deeply connect learning initiatives and outcomes with organizational goals.”
Christopher Lind: Companies will have to choose between two paths, the familiar and the unknown
“I predict L&D leaders will arrive at an interesting fork in the road,” says Christopher Lind, executive advisor for business and product transformation at Christopher Lind Co., “largely fueled by but not limited to AI.
“One path will be extremely familiar, albeit with significantly higher speed and weight limits. Taking it will lead down a path filled with exponentially more of the same and ever-increasing expectations. You’ll experience increased speed and volume, resulting in additional stress and work. However, it will fail to bring you to a new destination and prove to be an exhausting pathway to nowhere.
“The other path will be largely unfamiliar, uncharted, and riddled with failure. It will stretch you in new and different ways and prove exponentially more challenging and uncomfortable, requiring you to think and act differently. However, this path has the potential to take you to radically new destinations and achieve outcomes you never imagined possible.
“Regardless of the chosen path, the decision to choose will come in 2025. Trying to kick the decision further down the road and maintain the status quo will leave you falling dangerously behind. So, regardless of your chosen path, you’d be wise to make the inevitable decision sooner than later and begin the journey.”
Lori Niles-Hofmann: AI coaches will transform how employees learn
“I predict AI coaches will transform workplace learning,” says Lori Niles-Hofmann, senior edtech transformation strategist at NilesNolen, “making static courses obsolete. These AI systems will offer personalized, adaptive support integrated into daily workflows, creating real-time learning paths and providing microcoaching moments.
“By democratizing professional development and offering data-driven insights, AI coaches will revolutionize how organizations approach employee growth. While human coaches will still handle complex situations, AI will manage routine tasks, ensuring continuous learning becomes seamlessly woven into everyday work.
“This shift to AI-driven, personalized experiences will mark a new era in corporate learning and development.”
Naphtali Bryant: Connection will become the most important leadership skill
“In the age of AI,” says Naphtali Bryant, executive coach and leadership development consultant at RAC Leadership, “the leaders and organizations that succeed won’t be the ones that rely solely on technology. They’ll be the ones that prioritize connection.
“As AI handles technical tasks and simulates conversations, uniquely human skills like empathy, active listening, and trust-building will define the future of leadership. The data is clear: Employees are craving deeper connections and authentic communication. Leaders who can meet this need will foster resilient teams and thriving cultures, driving performance in ways that technology alone cannot.
“L&D will move beyond traditional technical training to create immersive experiences, AI-powered simulations, peer-driven coaching, and virtual role-playing that focus on human connection. Leaders must set the tone, ensuring their teams master not just tools but the fundamentals of trust and communication.
“The stakes couldn’t be higher: Organizations that fail to foster connection risk losing their edge in an increasingly complex, human-centered world.The organizations that prioritize connection will outpace their peers not because they’ve ignored AI, but because they’ve elevated humanity alongside it.
“In 2025, leadership will not be measured by how well we use technology, but by how deeply we connect with the people we lead.”
