Learning-oriented leadership in hybrid work

Purpose This paper aims to advance the understanding of how learning-oriented leadership is shaped by the conditions of hybrid work and what this implies for promoting workplace learning. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on 27 semi-structured interviews with managers from 14 organisations across the private, public and civil society sectors. Findings While hybrid work presents new challenges for informal learning, it also creates opportunities for innovative learning strategies that are flexible, scalable and tailored to individual and group needs. Managers should ensure spaces for reflection and discussion to share knowledge and experiences, while avoiding taking on a purely administrative role in the learning process. Leadership practices must be recalibrated to ensure alignment, inclusion and integration of learning across physical and digital workspaces. Research limitations/implications Future research should include cross-contextual comparisons and studies of the effectiveness of leadership practices, the inclusion of employee perspectives and the role of digital tools in supporting learning. Practical implications This study highlights the need for learning-oriented leadership to adapt to hybrid work by promoting structured, inclusive and digitally supported learning. It informs human resource development (HRD) practice by extending leadership models to address the distributed and digitally mediated nature of workplace learning and leadership in hybrid work. Originality/value This study explores how learning-oriented leadership is reconfigured in hybrid work settings, offering insights from managerial perspectives across various sectors, a dimension that has been largely overlooked in existing workplace learning and HRD literature.