How to Win Over the C-Suite: Securing Buy-In for Learning as a Business Imperative

In the fast-paced, ever-evolving business landscape, the role of Learning and Development (L&D) has transformed. Learning leaders are no longer just trainers—they are strategic partners driving business outcomes. Companies can no longer afford to rely on outdated, one-off training sessions. The future demands immersive, experiential learning that produces tangible, lasting results. More than ever, organizations must have a deep understanding of their workforce's evolving skills to remain competitive and adaptable.

The new Chief Learning Officer (CLO) isn’t just responsible for upskilling employees—they need to transform the workforce. Whether it’s accelerating time-to-proficiency, ensuring agility, or navigating disruptive technologies like AI and GenAI, L&D is at the heart of business success. To secure the C-suite’s buy-in, learning leaders must prove that learning isn’t just a support function—it’s a strategic driver of growth, innovation, and long-term resilience.

1. Speak the Language of the Business

For the new CLO and its organization to be seen as a vital part of the business, it must speak the language of business—not just the language of learning. Business leaders are less concerned with creating a “culture of learning” and more focused on how learning contributes to solving critical business challenges.

1. Understand Business Priorities: What are the organization's top goals? How can learning directly impact them? Whether it’s driving revenue, improving customer experience, enhancing operational efficiency, or mitigating risk, learning initiatives must align with these objectives.
2. Develop Technical Acumen: As AI and GenAI reshape industries, learning leaders must stay ahead of the curve. Not only should they understand how these technologies can enhance L&D, but they must also grasp their broader impact on workforce dynamics and business strategy.
3. Position Learning as a Strategic Value: Frame learning as a solution to key business challenges—whether it’s improving sales performance, enhancing customer experiences, or preparing employees for the AI-driven future.

2. Secure Stakeholder Engagement and Buy-In

A key sponsor can be the difference between success and failure for your learning strategy. When you have the right executive business partner, L&D garners visibility, credibility, and influence throughout the organization.

• Identify Key Stakeholders: The best champion isn’t always the CEO—it might be the CFO (who sees cost savings), COO (who values efficiency), CHRO (who owns workforce strategy), or CIO (who wants to find efficiencies in learning systems).
• Engage with Influence: Position learning as a solution to business pain points, not just an HR initiative. Approach executives with data-driven insights and a clear value proposition.
• Maintain Ongoing Engagement: Learning should be an ongoing partnership to deliver business impact and performance improvements, not a one-time pitch. Regular check-ins, success stories, and alignment meetings help sustain executive commitment.

3. Link Learning to Organizational Priorities

For L&D to secure lasting C-suite support, it must be directly tied to business goals and objectives. Learning is not just a function that supports employees; it must be a powerful engine driving measurable business results.

• Speed to Proficiency: One of the biggest criticisms of traditional L&D is that it takes too long. Learning must be designed for speed and scale, and not only meet the evolving business needs, but also integrate seamlessly into the employee experience. This means:
  • Onboarding programs that get employees productive faster
  • Technical training that ensures workforce agility
  • AI upskilling initiatives to future-proof the business

• Business-Driven Learning Initiatives: Learning must be embedded in strategic business functions, such as:
  • Revenue-Generating Teams – Sales and customer success teams need real-time learning to adapt to changing customer needs and market shifts.
  • Risk Mitigation – Compliance and cybersecurity training should be proactive and continuous, not reactive and one-off.
  • Technology Enablement – Employees need ongoing support in adopting new tools and AI-driven workflows.

• Sustainable, Continuous Learning: Learning isn’t a one-time event—it must be embedded into daily workflows and designed to evolve with the business.

4. Use ROI and Metrics That Matter

Executives need clear, actionable proof that L&D is directly contributing to the company’s bottom line. Move beyond basic metrics like course completions and satisfaction scores, and focus on data that directly links learning to business performance.

• Productivity Gains: How much time or cost savings does learning deliver?
• Speed to Competency: How quickly can new hires or reskilled employees become productive?
• Revenue Impact: Are sales teams closing deals faster due to training?
• Workforce Agility: Are employees adapting to new technologies and processes efficiently?
• Retention and Workforce Mobility: Are employees staying longer and advancing due to upskilling and reskilling opportunities?

Presenting data that directly ties learning to business success ensures that L&D is viewed as a critical function rather than a discretionary expense.

Learning as a Business Imperative

Securing C-suite buy-in isn’t just about getting budget approval—it’s about positioning learning as an indispensable force driving business success.

By speaking the language of the business, securing executive business partners, aligning learning initiatives with organizational priorities, and demonstrating ROI through meaningful, data-driven metrics, L&D leaders can establish learning as a key enabler of workforce agility, business transformation, and sustained competitive advantage.

To dive deeper into this topic, download the workbook “How to Win Learning and Influence the C-Suite”, or connect with us directly to learn how Degreed can help!