Title: Unraveling the Role of a Chief Learning Officer (CLO)
A Chief Learning Officer (CLO) is a forward-thinking executive who pioneers the advancement of workforce skills in line with business priorities and cultural values. Reporting directly to top-tier executives like the CEO or CHRO, the CLO participates in strategic decision-making, serving as a peer to other leaders in shaping an organization's direction. Over the past three decades, workplace learning has undergone immense transformations, with the role of the CLO evolving to transcend traditional training models and become a pivotal force in designing comprehensive learning ecosystems.
What Is A CLO?
The CLO role has developed in response to seismic shifts in the realms of learning and workforce development, beginning with the 1990s' classroom-centric approach, progressing through the digital age of the 2000s, and culminating in the 2010s’ emergence of continuous learning organizations. Peter Senge's influence has been instrumental in this evolution, emphasizing the need for CLOs to think beyond individual development and focus on building collective capabilities within an organization.
In the face of recent challenges like the global pandemic and the rapid proliferation of AI, the role of the CLO has grown even more crucial. Organizations that had already adopted digital learning technology were better able to accommodate remote workforces and leverage edtech partners to expand virtual learning opportunities.
Though best known in knowledge-intensive industries such as tech, healthcare, finance, and consulting, CLOs can be invaluable in any organization where learning drives business value, regardless of size. This is exemplified by companies like Udemy, which incorporated the CLO role beyond internal capability development, shaping product strategies and offering customer solutions.
What Does A CLO Do?
At the helm of a CLO's mission is the fostering of a learning culture that nurtures team development and leadership through coaching, talent planning, and skill-building initiatives. By reinforcing organizational values through daily behaviors, CLOs create environments that foster learning and strong, cohesive teams.
Notably, CLOs assess skill growth not only in terms of measurable improvement but also in evaluating how effectively leaders model and coach cultural behaviors. This approach ensures that individuals and organizations alike evolve together.
One of the most critical aspects of a CLO's work is shaping the learning environment itself, ensuring it is inclusive and tailored to diverse perspectives and cultural contexts. Humera Malik-Shahid, Chief DEI Officer and Talent Development Leader at Intuit, emphasizes this point: "We often talk about psychological safety as something we need to create on teams, which is true, but it's also the foundation upon which all effective learning and development is built. Inclusive talent development means designing learning experiences that acknowledge and leverage diverse perspectives and cultural contexts."
A well-structured CLO's day-to-day work includes cross-functional meetings, coaching leaders, engaging with stakeholders, measuring outcomes, managing budgets, and staying updated on industry trends.
What Are The Necessary Skills and Qualifications Of A CLO?
Beyond core leadership competencies like strategic thinking and influential collaboration, the CLO's unique position demands specialized functional skills. To optimally drive organizational learning, today's CLOs must adapt and embrace three distinct roles—contextualizer, curator, and connector.
- Contextualizer:The CLO identifies critical skills needed to drive cultural behaviors across the organization. By mapping learning initiatives to business strategy and cultural expectations, the CLO strengthens key behaviors, embedding them into the organization's DNA through feedback cycles, promotion criteria, and reward systems.
- Curator:As knowledge and content availability multiply, CLOs discern and prioritize core skills that impact organizations. This targeted approach blends fundamental AI literacy with enduring leadership capabilities.
- Connector:Johnants and Kropf, in their article "Humanizing Artificial Intelligence Through Learning," wrote that the human touch is essential in developing critical skills by connecting those who excel in a given area with those in need of development through mentorship and collaboration.
The five core skills that remain crucial for CLOs to cultivate in these roles are:
- Strategic Learning Alignment:By mapping organizational capabilities against business strategy and cultural expectations, CLOs ensure learning experiences remain integrated, flexible and responsive to evolving challenges.
- Data Analytics and Learning Measurement:By leveraging learning analytics and data-driven insights, CLOs can evaluate effectiveness, demonstrate return on investment, and optimize learning programs for better outcomes.
- Digital Learning Technology Expertise:As technology reshapes how we learn and work, CLOs must navigate and optimize digital learning ecosystems. This involves managing learning platforms, LMS, LXP, virtual learning spaces, and AI applications.
- Change Leadership and Organizational Development:The ability to drive sustainable change through effective collaboration and collaboration is a vital skill for CLOs. By ensuring stakeholders are aligned and engaging in continuous learning, they create opportunities for employees to understand and embrace new approaches.
- Learning Experience Design:By mastering learning principles, CLOs can architect effective learning experiences that integrate with organizational goals. This might involve individualized development plans, cohort-based learning, or a blend of both.
What Is the Average Salary of a CLO?
According to Glassdoor and Salary.com, the estimated total pay for a Chief Learning Officer (CLO) is $250,000 per year, with a median salary of $162,492 per year. This median salary is based on data collected from users, whose income varies according to factors like industry, company size, and location. Technology and financial services companies typically offer the highest compensation packages, with salaries sometimes exceeding $450,000 for top CLOs.
What Organizations Should Consider A CLO?
Organizations that effectively invest in CLOs gain strategic advantages by fostering systematic and data-driven skill development that aligns with business strategies and cultural values. Absent a CLO, organizations often suffer from fragmented learning initiatives, inconsistent skill development, and slow adoption of essential skills like AI literacy.
How Can You Become a CLO?
The most successful CLOs combine advanced education in fields like business, organizational development, or education with at least 15 years of practical experience. Through progressive roles in learning, talent development, and change management, CLOs can develop consulting skills, a cross-functional understanding, and the ability to drive impactful change.
Again, the importance of experience cannot be overstated—no amount of academic credentials can compensate for a lack of practical experience. Many aspiring CLOs hone their skills through lengthy careers in learning and talent development, gradually evolving into more strategic roles that empower them to drive change more effectively.
The CLO's role in strategic decision-making allows them to implement a comprehensive learning strategy that aligns with the organization's business priorities and cultural values, demonstrating their leadership in this area. As a peer to other leaders, the CLO shapes the organization's direction by focusing on building collective capabilities within the organization.
In order to effectively drive organizational learning, the CLO must possess not only core leadership competencies but also specialized functional skills, such as the ability to act as a contextualizer, curator, and connector, ensuring the learning environment is inclusive and tailored to diverse perspectives.
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