As organizations continue to adopt new learning technologies, learning and development (L&D) leaders are being asked to guide their teams through constant change. That includes building digital literacy — the ability to confidently navigate and use digital tools — across the organization while keeping their own tech skills sharp. It’s no small task when teams are overwhelmed and resistant to change.
To help with that effort, we’ve collected book recommendations from learning leaders who are thinking deeply about the role of L&D in an increasingly digital world. Whether you are trying to better prove the value of digital learning, get buy-in for a new tech pilot project or build the critical skills needed to thrive in the future, these books just might provide the mindset shift or solution you’re looking for.
“L&D’s Playbook for the Digital Age” by Brandon Carson
Recommended by DJ Jaeger, training manager at Akamai Technologies: “One book I often recommend to fellow learning leaders is ‘L&D’s Playbook for the Digital Age’ by Brandon Carson, a 2022 getAbstract Learning Impact Award winner and one of the most practically useful guides I’ve encountered. As a senior L&D leader navigating large-scale change, this book helped me build more confidence and clarity in how to align learning strategy with business transformation. Brandon’s writing is bold but accessible, grounded in real-world organizational complexity rather than abstract ideals, which makes it especially valuable for those managing teams or leading functional change.
A standout for me was the section on driving learning value in the digital age. The case studies and guided reflection exercises pushed me to clarify why we measure what we measure, when to measure it and how to actually use learning data to inform decisions. It helped me move from legacy metrics to a strategy rooted in impact and learner experience. I’ve since shared the book with my team, and it’s opened up richer conversations about how learning fits into the broader digital evolution of the business. The included book club guide is also a great resource for leaders looking to build a shared understanding across their team.
What makes this book a must-read right now is its honest assessment of where many L&D functions still operate: caught between outdated tools, misaligned org structures and increasing pressure to deliver business value. Rather than offer quick fixes, Brandon walks readers through how to modernize their learning function for long-term relevance. His guidance, both in the book and beyond, has challenged me to think more courageously about the role L&D can and should play in shaping the digital workplace. If you’re leading a team or driving strategy, this is one to keep close!”
“Future Skills” by Bernard Marr
Recommended by Kiara Graham, HR tech solutions provider at Workleap: “A book I keep recommending is ‘Future Skills’ by Bernard Marr. It’s not written for learning professionals specifically, but I think that’s a big part of why it’s useful. We can sometimes get stuck inside our own echo chamber, and this book is a nice change of pace. It forces you to zoom out and think beyond just tech skills to what people actually need to stay employable and effective as tech transforms everything around us.
My biggest takeaway was that teaching people how to use the latest tool is short-sighted. Tools will keep changing. Marr makes a strong case that if you’re not building things like adaptability, critical thinking and tech ethics into your learning strategy, you’re missing the point. We don’t have a crystal ball to predict what technical skills will be needed in the future. Instead, we can focus on building core capabilities that set people up for success no matter what tech we’re using in the future, enabling them to rapidly adapt and learn in the face of transformative change. For L&D teams trying to prove their relevance in the middle of massive tech disruption, I think this book can offer invaluable insights into how we can best support people and set ourselves and our organizations up for success in the face of ongoing digital disruption.”
“The Eight Levers of EdTech Transformation” by Lori Niles-Hofmann
Recommended by Damon Patterson Sr., CPTD, senior learning and development executive: “This is the first book I’ve read in a while that treats artificial intelligence (AI) and education technology (edtech) as operating infrastructure, not shiny add-ons. It gives L&D leaders real-world approaches to:
- Infuse AI into your learning strategy and workflows to augment, not rip-and-replace
- Anchor the skills agenda to real work and measurable outcomes
- Run L&D as a business function rather than a support unit with a new target operating model, focusing more on learning triage and less on traditional annual planning
Read this book to move from transactional to strategic and get better at holding business capability conversations using clear levers, crisp decisions and language the C-suite respects. The big unlock for me was the emphasis on levers over systems: You can reduce resistance by pulling a few high-yield levers (data, content strategy, learning experience, stakeholder management and more). It can help you to move your organization away from ‘prove the platform’ debates to ‘prove the outcome’ pilots: smaller, faster experiments with AI that built trust and momentum instead of fatigue.”
“The Infinite Game” by Simon Sinek
Recommended by Thomas Patterson, vice president of product management: platform, mobile and AI at VikingCloud: “This book is essential reading for L&D teams because it fundamentally reframes how organizations should think about success and sustainability. Sinek distinguishes between finite games (played to win with known players and fixed rules) and infinite games (played to keep playing with changing players and evolving rules).
For L&D professionals, this perspective is crucial right now as organizations face unprecedented change, remote work challenges and the need for continuous adaptation. The book provides a framework for building learning cultures that prioritize long-term growth over short-term wins, emphasizing the development of people as an ongoing investment rather than a finite training event.
The infinite mindset is particularly relevant for L&D teams as they shift from traditional training models to more agile, continuous learning approaches. Sinek’s principles help L&D leaders understand why creating psychologically safe environments for experimentation and failure is more valuable than perfect training metrics and why developing future-ready skills matters more than checking compliance boxes.
One of the most counterintuitive insights from the book is that in infinite games, the goal isn’t to be the best — it’s to be better than you were yesterday. This challenges the typical L&D mindset of benchmarking against competitors or industry standards. Instead, Sinek argues that organizations should focus on their own continuous improvement journey, which transforms how we measure learning success from comparative metrics to progressive growth indicators.”
“Learning in the Age of Digital Reason” by Petar Jandrić
Recommended by Simon Fabb, CEO of ChiefJobs.com: “For teams newer to the digital side of L&D, I often point them to ‘Learning in the Age of Digital Reason’ by Petar Jandrić. It’s a great primer for understanding the social and ethical dimensions of technology in learning. One surprising takeaway was how quickly our assumptions about what makes learning effective can become outdated, which is something I think every L&D professional needs to grapple with right now.”
Prepare for What’s Next
Digital literacy is a core capability for today’s learning teams. When L&D professionals build their own confidence with digital tools, they’re better equipped to evaluate new platforms, support learners through change and connect learning strategy to business needs. The books on this list can help you develop those skills — and help you prepare your organization for what comes next.
