Podcast Summary: The Power of Advisory Skills in L&D with Tom Lahoud of Citi
When you think of the vast world of financial services, one of the most complex and heavily regulated environments is banking. That’s exactly where Tom Lahoud has built his career. As the Senior Learning Advisor at Citigroup, Tom supports the massive Global Legal Affairs and Compliance function, covering everything from crisis management to intelligence, investigations, and regulatory policy. It’s a critical role, ensuring employees not only understand complicated processes but also stay ahead of constantly changing risks like cyber threats and compliance requirements.
But Tom’s journey into learning and development didn’t start with today’s cutting-edge tools or immersive platforms. It started with old-school training manuals.
From Training Manuals to Learning Experiences
Early in his career, Tom was tasked with writing thick manuals that explained complex banking and brokerage processes. These weren’t light reading, and most employees struggled to digest the technical content on their own. Managers began asking Tom and his team of “manual writers” (what we’d call technical writers today) to step in and help employees apply the material.
That’s when Tom raised his hand to create and deliver actual training programs. He moved beyond simple lectures to include outlines, exercises, opportunities for interaction, and feedback forms to capture learners’ voices. This experience set the tone for his career. Growing up in a household of teachers, Tom already had an instinct for education, but now he saw firsthand how powerful well-designed learning could be in helping people succeed.
The Changing Role of L&D
Fast forward to today, Tom sees one of the biggest shifts in L&D as the closer alignment with HR and business strategy. No longer a “silo” function, learning leaders are increasingly embedded within the businesses they support. Tom describes how his work often feels more like a direct partnership with HR business partners, talent teams, and recruiters because learning alone can’t solve every problem.
Upskilling, reskilling, and talent retention all require collaboration across the HR spectrum. And in many cases, L&D is leading those conversations, acting as the connector that ties business needs to talent solutions.
Looking Ahead: Three Trends Shaping the Future
Tom outlined three key trends he believes will dominate the future of learning:
1. Adaptive Learning
Instead of one-size-fits-all, adaptive learning uses data and technology to customize content for each learner’s pace, skill level, and needs. This shift moves training away from box-checking exercises and toward experiences that actually stick.
2. Experiential Learning
Simulation, augmented reality, and AI tools are creating hands-on learning experiences. Tom’s team, for example, uses tabletop exercises to prepare employees for crisis scenarios like cyberattacks or geopolitical events so they can practice real-world problem-solving in a safe environment.
3. Reskilling the Workforce
As roles evolve, employees must continuously acquire both new technical and interpersonal skills. L&D’s role is expanding to include not just compliance or process training but also critical skills like collaboration, communication, and stakeholder management.
These trends point toward a future where learning is personalized, immersive, and central to helping businesses adapt.
To address this, he created a shared accountability matrix that spells out who is responsible for what in achieving business goals. This approach shifts the conversation from “training didn’t work” to “are all parts of the system supporting the performance we want?”
Lessons from Mentoring
When asked about his most influential mentors, Tom gave a surprising answer: his mentees. Over the years, he’s mentored many new hires and junior employees, and he says the feedback and insights he’s gained from them have shaped his own leadership style. Seeing the challenges they face, the skills they want to develop, and the fresh perspectives they bring has been invaluable.
It’s a reminder that learning leaders are not just teachers, they are learners, too.
The Most Critical Skill for L&D Professionals
For Tom, the single most important skill in L&D today is advisory capability. He breaks this down into a “trifecta”:
- Change Agility – being responsive and adaptable, while also helping others embrace change.
- Stakeholder Management – navigating relationships and building trust, especially during challenging projects.
- Strategic Thinking – looking beyond immediate training fixes to consider long-term performance and business goals.
This advisory role shifts L&D from simply delivering programs to serving as trusted partners who can say, “Sometimes training isn’t the answer.” That mindset echoes the principles of performance consulting, where training is the last option, not the first.
Books That Inspire
Tom shared three books he recommends for anyone pursuing leadership in L&D:
- Mindset by Carol Dweck – a classic on growth mindset and coaching others beyond the immediate challenge.
- The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey – essential for understanding how to build, maintain, and even restore trust in relationships.
- Own Your Authority by Marisa Santoro – a powerful guide on embracing your inner leadership and influence.
Together, these books capture the balance between mindset, trust, and personal authority—qualities Tom believes are crucial for anyone stepping into an advisory role.
Final Thoughts
Tom Lahoud’s career is a perfect example of how learning professionals evolve with their organizations. From manual writing in the pre-internet era to advising on adaptive, AI-driven strategies at one of the world’s largest banks, his journey highlights the enduring truth of L&D: it’s about people. Whether it’s mentees shaping his perspective, employees learning through simulations, or business partners leaning on his advice, Tom’s work centers on building trust, fostering growth, and helping people succeed in a rapidly changing world.
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