I’ve watched dozens of AI training programs launch with fanfare and fade into irrelevance. The pattern is remarkably consistent: enthusiastic start, declining engagement, eventual abandonment.

What separates programs that transform from programs that fade? Many factors matter, but one stands above the others: executive sponsorship. Research from Deloitte on organisational change consistently identifies visible leadership commitment as the strongest predictor of transformation success.

Not the kind where an executive sends an email endorsing the program. The kind where executives actively champion, resource, and hold people accountable for AI capability development.

That kind of sponsorship is rare. And that’s why most programs underperform.

What Effective Sponsorship Actually Looks Like

Let’s be specific about what effective executive sponsorship involves:

Visible Championing

Sponsors don’t just approve programs—they actively promote them:

• Speaking about AI capability development in all-hands meetings
• Participating in training sessions (even briefly)
• Sharing their own AI learning journey
• Recognising individuals and teams who develop AI capabilities
• Asking about AI adoption in regular business conversations

This visibility signals that AI development isn’t just an L&D initiative—it’s a business priority.

Resource Commitment

Sponsorship requires resources:

• Budget for program development and delivery
• Protected time for employees to learn
• Investment in tools and technology
• Staff to support the program
• Ongoing funding, not just one-time allocation

Programs without adequate resources fail regardless of executive interest.

Accountability Integration

Effective sponsors build AI development into accountability structures:

• Including AI adoption in performance expectations
• Reviewing adoption metrics in regular business reviews
• Holding managers accountable for team development
• Making AI capability a factor in advancement decisions

What executives measure, organisations do.

Barrier Removal

Sponsors use their authority to remove obstacles:

• Resolving policy conflicts that impede adoption
• Breaking down silos that prevent collaboration
• Expediting decisions that are blocking progress
• Overruling resistance from influential sceptics

L&D teams often lack the authority to address systemic barriers. Sponsors have it.

Strategic Connection

Sponsors connect AI development to strategic objectives:

• Explaining how AI capability serves business strategy
• Ensuring program priorities align with business priorities
• Adjusting direction as strategy evolves
• Making the case for continued investment

This connection elevates AI development from “training program” to “strategic investment.”

Why L&D Can’t Do This Alone

Some L&D teams try to drive AI adoption without strong executive sponsorship. It rarely works. Here’s why:

Authority Limitations

L&D typically can’t mandate adoption. We can offer training, but we can’t require people to apply it. We can’t adjust performance expectations. We can’t remove competing priorities.

Executives can do all of these things.

Resource Constraints

L&D budgets are often modest. AI transformation requires significant investment—in content development, tools, facilitation, support systems. Without executive commitment to resourcing, programs are underfunded.

Credibility Dynamics

Fair or not, L&D initiatives are sometimes dismissed as compliance exercises rather than business priorities. When executives champion AI development, it signals business importance in ways L&D positioning can’t.

Competing Priorities

Managers face many demands. L&D telling them to prioritise AI development competes with operational demands. Executives telling them the same thing carries more weight.

Systemic Barriers

Many barriers to AI adoption are systemic—policies, structures, incentives. L&D can identify these barriers but often can’t remove them. Executive authority is required.

Finding the Right Sponsor

Not all executives make effective sponsors. Look for:

Personal Commitment

The best sponsors believe in AI’s importance, not just intellectually but personally. They’re interested in AI, learning about it themselves, and genuinely invested in organisational capability.

Sponsors who don’t personally care will deprioritise when other issues compete for attention.

Organisational Authority

Sponsors need sufficient authority to resource programs, remove barriers, and hold people accountable. A sponsor without relevant authority is a champion but not a sponsor.

Credibility and Influence

Sponsors should be respected across the organisation. Their endorsement should carry weight. Sponsors who lack credibility won’t move the needle.

Staying Power

AI transformation takes time. Sponsors need to be around long enough to see it through. An executive who might leave in six months isn’t ideal.

Willingness to Engage

Some executives are happy to lend their name but not their time. Effective sponsorship requires actual engagement—attending sessions, reviewing progress, addressing issues.

Building the Sponsorship Relationship

Once you’ve identified a potential sponsor, build the relationship:

Make the Business Case

Sponsors need to understand why AI capability development matters. Frame this in business terms:

• Competitive necessity
• Productivity potential
• Risk of falling behind
• Employee expectations and retention
• Strategic enablement

Avoid L&D jargon. Speak the language of business outcomes.

Clarify Expectations

Be explicit about what you need from a sponsor:

• Specific time commitments
• Decisions required
• Communications expected
• Accountability mechanisms to implement

Don’t leave expectations vague. Unmet unstated expectations damage relationships.

Make It Easy

Respect your sponsor’s time. Prepare them for appearances. Draft communications for their review. Bring decisions with recommendations, not open-ended questions.

The easier you make sponsorship, the more sponsors engage.

Demonstrate Progress

Regular updates on progress, challenges, and outcomes keep sponsors informed and invested. Don’t just report when things go wrong—share successes too.

Address Issues Promptly

When barriers arise that require sponsor intervention, raise them promptly with clear asks. Sponsors want to help; make it clear how they can.

When Sponsorship Isn’t There

What if you can’t secure strong executive sponsorship? Options:

Find Alternative Champions

If C-suite sponsorship isn’t available, look for influential leaders at other levels. A passionate divisional VP can sponsor within their scope.

Start Small

Pilot programs in receptive areas don’t require organisation-wide sponsorship. Build success stories that attract broader support.

Connect to Existing Priorities

If AI development can advance an existing executive priority, it may gain support as part of that initiative rather than as a standalone program.

Be Patient

Sometimes timing isn’t right. Build relationships, demonstrate competence, and wait for the moment when executive attention shifts to AI.

Be Realistic

Without adequate sponsorship, temper expectations. A program without executive support can still add value, but transformational impact is unlikely.

Sustaining Sponsorship Over Time

Initial commitment isn’t enough. Sustaining sponsorship over the long term requires ongoing attention:

Maintain Engagement

Keep sponsors involved, not just informed. Ask for input. Invite them to events. Make them part of the story.

Demonstrate Value

Regular evidence of impact reinforces the investment case. Capture and share success stories, metrics, and testimonials.

Adapt to Changes

Sponsors’ priorities shift. Organisational circumstances change. Adapt the program to maintain alignment with what sponsors care about.

Build Redundancy

Single-sponsor programs are vulnerable. Build relationships with multiple senior leaders who can champion the work if your primary sponsor moves on.

Anticipate Transitions

Sponsor transitions are dangerous moments. Plan for them. Identify successor sponsors. Document the case for continued investment.

The Difference Sponsorship Makes

I’ve seen the contrast many times. Two similar organisations, similar AI training programs, very different outcomes.

The organisation with strong sponsorship:

• Employees have protected time to learn
• Managers are held accountable for team development
• Barriers get removed when they arise
• The program evolves with ongoing investment
• AI adoption becomes organisational reality

The organisation without strong sponsorship:

• Learning competes with operational demands (and loses)
• Managers treat AI training as optional
• Barriers persist because no one has authority to address them
• The program stagnates without continued investment
• AI adoption remains patchy and fragile

Same content. Same intentions. Different sponsorship. Different outcomes.

Your Next Step

If you’re planning or running an AI capability program, ask yourself:

• Do you have an executive sponsor with real authority and commitment?
• Is the sponsor visibly championing the program?
• Are adequate resources committed?
• Is AI development built into accountability systems?
• Are barriers being actively removed?

If the answers are yes, you’re positioned for success.

If not, securing effective sponsorship should be your first priority. Everything else depends on it.