Everyone is talking about upskilling and change leadership as organizations grapple with constant disruption. But do we really understand what it takes to build change-ready teams, and why it matters?

Let start with defining what upskilling is. It is the process of teaching or learning new skills that are directly relevant to an individual’s current role or future career path, enabling them to perform more effectively, adapt to evolving workplace demands, and stay competitive in a rapidly changing environment.

While upskilling in relation to change leadership can be defined as preparing leaders and teams with the mindset, skills, and tools to navigate disruption and lead change.

Upskilling has become the number one workforce development strategy of the decade ahead. For leaders responsible for organizational performance, whether you are a People Manager, Change Management Practice Leader, Learning & Development (L&D) Director, or HR executive, upskilling is about something deeper that just signing employees up for training.

It is about building the mindset, resilience, and leadership capacity to guide teams and the organization through constant disruption.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, 85 percent of employers plan to upskill their workforce by 2030.

Why upskilling is at the top of the agenda

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, 85 percent of employers plan to upskill their workforce by 2030. A recent global survey by Skillsoft found that only 10 percent of HR and L&D professionals believe their employees are well-equipped for the next 12 to 24 months, highlighting a massive readiness gap in leadership and adaptability.

Other research confirms the urgency. McKinsey has found that companies who invest in leadership and capability building are 2.5 times more likely to succeed in transformation (McKinsey, 2021: Building Capabilities for Performance).

Harvard Business Review has also highlighted that leading change today is less about managing tasks and more about guiding human transitions: building trust, emotional resilience, and adaptability as much as process discipline (HBR, The Hard Side of Change Management).

The implication is clear: organizations that treat training as a one-off exercise will fall behind. The ones that thrive will invest in building change-ready teams equipped to lead forward, even in the unknown.

What is upskilling really?

The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2030, 39% of core job skills will have changed—and up to 59% of the workforce will need upskilling. Of those, 11% may be at risk of displacement rather than retraining.

In today’s workplace, upskilling goes far beyond technical skills. It is about preparing people at every level of the organization to:

• Navigate disruption and complexity with confidence

• Lead change, not just react to it

• Deliver sustainable results, even as priorities shift

For People Leaders and Change Management Leaders, this means scaling change-readiness across initiatives instead of relying on isolated efforts. For L&D leaders, it means moving beyond completion rates to measurable behaviour change that drives performance.

And for HR and Transformation leaders, it means embedding change leadership into culture, performance reviews, and succession planning. This is how organizations future-proof their workforce.

The best upskilling initiatives combine theory with practice, and provide sustained support so learning becomes behaviour. This is the ethos behind how we design our training.

How can organizations support upskilling?

To build change-ready teams, organizations must shift from check-the-box training to integrated, enterprise-wide capability building. That means:

• Model adaptability at the top: Executives must demonstrate continuous learning. Leaders set the tone.

• Tie development to real transformation: Training should be linked to live initiatives, not abstract checklists.

• Create safe environments to practise: Teams need space to test, experiment, and grow without fear of failure.

Leaders who are serious about upskilling often pause to ask a few hard questions. Ask yourself:

• Are we investing in awareness, or in lasting capability?

• Are we building compliance, or resilience?

The answer to these questions often determines whether training fades or transforms.

Change leadership in action, building change ready teams

One of our most in-demand workshops is: “Navigating Change: Your Guide to Embracing Agility and Cultivating Resilience.” Forward-thinking organizations in across Canada, and globally are investing in change leadership training to:

• Increase adoption of new initiatives

• Improve employee engagement and retention

• Strengthen ROI on change and transformation projects

In fact, organizations we have worked with report faster adoption rates and stronger engagement after equipping leaders with change leadership skills, resilience and agility strategies. This is why change leadership development is becoming a core part of every organization’s upskilling strategy.

Why upskilling in change leadership is critical for the workplace today

The workplace today is shaped by constant change: AI, automation, disruption, and socioeconomic uncertainty. The future will belong to organizations that can adapt quickly, lead effectively, and respond to change in real time. Upskilling is no longer optional. It is a strategic imperative.

Here is something to reflect on: How is your organization preparing leaders and teams to thrive through change? How are you preparing yourself as a leader of change?

It is time to move beyond training programs that tick boxes. It is time to build true capability for today’s new world of work.

Upskilling in change leadership is about building lasting capability, measured by behaviour change, adoption rates, and resilience across the organization.

Ready to upskill your leaders and teams?

Want to equip your leaders with the skills to lead and respond to change in real time?

• Download our free resource on How To Build a Change Ready and Agile Team Culture.
• Explore our customized Change Leadership Training or our ACMP-accredited Change Leadership Accelerator.

The Change Leadership Accelerator is a practical, accredited program designed to provide individuals and organizations with the skills, tools, credibility, and confidence to lead change successfully and stand out as a trusted Change Leader. Learn more about the Accelerator here​

Yvonne Ruke Akpoveta

Yvonne is a Change Management Strategist, Catalyst and Change Leadership Advocate who is passionate about working with professionals and organizations to help them to successfully lead change. You can learn more about Yvonne at: www.yvonnerukeakpoveta.com, and also connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.