Guild Partners with NewtonX to Uncover What Sets High-Impact L&D Leaders Apart

Guild teamed up with NewtonX to survey 500 HR and L&D leaders across industries like healthcare, tech, finance, and retail. The goal? Understand how today’s most effective teams are turning learning into a strategic business driver.

The standout finding: L&D leaders who align learning with business strategy are 122% more likely to meet their top goals.

These leaders—Guild calls them Difference Makers—aren’t just managing training. They’re embedded in business planning, influencing the C-suite, and backing up their work with hard data.

Read the full Guild report here: From Cost to Catalyst

Key Findings

• L&D leaders who align learning to business strategy are 122% more likely to meet or exceed their top organizational KPIs.

• Just 28% of CHROs say they can confidently link L&D to revenue or profit—highlighting a major opportunity gap.

• High-performing teams are 30% more likely to align learning initiatives with strategic goals, and 40% more likely to use analytics to guide decisions.

• Internal mobility is a competitive edge: top teams are 52% more likely to improve engagement by developing talent from within.