Keeping the Human in L&D While Embracing AI with Dr. Darick Bryant of Clean Harbors
Dr. Darick Bryant, Director of Learning and Organizational Development of Clean Harbors, joins us to discuss how AI is reshaping L&D, why empathy has become an essential leadership skill and how organizations can use learning as a strategic retention tool for the next generation of workers.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Introduction.
02:10 With over 24,000 employees across the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and India, Darick leads all leadership development initiatives for one of the largest environmental and industrial services companies in the country.
05:05 Darick came to L&D from an operational background — he didn't know the field existed until a VP of HR invited him to pursue a training director role, which later sparked a master's degree and a doctorate in strategic leadership.
07:15 L&D professionals are unicorns — they see potential in people that others, including the individuals themselves, cannot yet see.
08:10 The biggest change in L&D has been the evolution of learning modalities — balancing in-person, virtual and self-paced delivery to meet individual needs across a large, dispersed workforce.
12:20 AI will continue to accelerate in L&D, but the more pressing opportunity is using learning as a retention strategy for Millennials and Gen Z as Gen X approaches retirement and succession planning becomes critical.
20:04 Empathy and emotional intelligence are no longer soft skills — they are essential competencies, and leaders who lose sight of the humans they are leading create significant organizational risk.
22:07 When leading neurodiverse individuals, research provides a starting point but direct observation of the individual is essential — empathy must adjust as people grow and change.
27:10 Diversity, equity and inclusion are broader than ethnicity or race. True inclusion means placing people with different experiences and perspectives together so everyone has the same opportunity to grow.
31:05 Darick recommends “Leaders Made Here” by Mark Miller for its focus on building a sustainable leadership pipeline and creating a culture that develops leaders at every level.
Resources Mentioned:
Clean Harbors | Website
“Leaders Made Here” by Mark Miller
Thanks for listening to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with corporate L&D leaders.” If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss any of the insightful conversations.
#LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment