BOARD REPORT
Jennifer Muszik
If there is one truth we all share in learning and development (L&D), it’s this: Great leaders don’t appear by accident. They are identified early, nurtured intentionally and supported consistently. Whether we’re talking about senior leadership, a board of directors or the learning teams inside your company, our future strength depends on the bench we build today.
What challenges are you facing in developing your future leaders? What innovative practices are working inside your teams?
Please take one minute to share your thoughts in our quick survey.
Your ideas will shape upcoming LTEN resources, conversations and leadership initiatives — because building the bench is something we do together.
In our LTEN community, we are fortunate to have passionate, seasoned, mission-driven leaders. But with growth, change, career transitions and new opportunities emerging every year, we must constantly ask:
Are we preparing the next generation of leaders now?
Bench development isn’t a corporate HR trend. It’s a sustainability strategy. It’s how we ensure continuity, accelerate innovation and protect our culture. And it’s essential for the L&D organizations we lead across pharma, biotech, medical device, diagnostics and beyond.
Below is a practical, shared blueprint—a set of actions that matter both at the board level and inside every learning organization working to develop tomorrow’s talent.
One of the biggest barriers to building a strong bench is that we often identify talent too narrowly — based on visibility, proximity, tenure or traditional leadership profiles. But emerging leaders come from everywhere.
At LTEN, that may mean looking beyond frequent contributors and conference voices to find those who show curiosity, reliability and a desire to serve. Inside companies, it may mean recognizing potential in high-impact individual contributors, project leads or quiet high performers who consistently deliver.
Try these actions:
Create intentional “visibility moments” for individuals earlier in their journey, such as presenting a segment at a meeting or leading a microsession.
Ask current leaders: “Who is someone we should keep an eye on?”
Review who gets stretch assignments — and who doesn’t — to ensure equity and diversity of opportunity.
Leadership potential is rarely loud. More often, it’s steady, thoughtful and waiting for the chance to shine.
We often talk about preparing future leaders, but preparation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens through experiences, not just training. For LTEN board development, this might mean involving emerging voices in committees, strategic projects or conference planning. Within companies, this could include rotations, crossfunctional projects or leading training pilots.
What matters most is creating pathways, not pipelines.
Actions that work:
Offer rotating leadership experiences — short-term opportunities to lead a meeting, initiative or working group.
Pair newer contributors with experienced board members or leaders as “shadow partners.”
Give team members exposure to governance, budgeting or strategic planning — skills that shape senior leadership readiness.
Great leaders aren’t chosen — they’re formed through practice.
No bench grows without feedback. And yet feedback is often inconsistent, vague or sugarcoated. To build leaders confidently and quickly, we must normalize feedback that is:
Frequent
Behavioral
Anchored in growth
Paired with support
At the board level, that can mean structured debriefs after major initiatives and candid coaching conversations for emerging contributors. Inside organizations, it means ensuring everyone — especially rising talent — knows what they’re great at and where they can stretch next.
Actions that matter:
Use simple frameworks like “start/stop/continue” after any leadership moment.
Coach leaders to deliver timely, specific and supportive feedback.
Equip emerging leaders with reflection tools to accelerate self-awareness.
Feedback isn’t a performance conversation — it’s a development accelerant.
People rise when they see where they can go.
At LTEN, that means communicating how members can contribute, influence and perhaps eventually serve on the board. In companies, it means publishing competency models, promotion pathways and the experiences required for each step.
When people understand the path, they can picture themselves walking it.
Practical actions:
Share real examples of how board members and L&D leaders grew into their roles.
Provide transparent development pathways with milestones and success indicators.
Clarity invites courage.
Bench strength isn’t the responsibility of a single leader, department or board chair. It’s a shared commitment.
At LTEN, that means each board member plays an active role in spotting talent, mentoring contributors and supporting future leaders. Inside organizations, this means developing leaders at all levels, not only senior roles.
Benchbuilding thrives when it’s part of our operating rhythm, not an annual agenda item.
Actions to embed it sustainably:
Incorporate talent discussions into every major cycle (including board meetings, quarterly business reviews and annual planning).
Celebrate emerging leaders publicly to reinforce the culture you want.
Ensure leadership development resources are accessible, not exclusive.
The bench gets stronger when everyone feels responsible for strengthening it.
Whether you’re stewarding LTEN’s future as board members or shaping tomorrow’s talent inside our companies, the question is the same:
Are we building a bench that will be ready — really ready — when it’s their turn to lead?
Developing future leaders is not just a strategic priority. It’s an act of service. The decisions we make today determine the culture, capability and strength of the community long after we step aside.
Let’s make sure we’re handing off something strong, resilient and ready to grow.
Jennifer Muszik is head of commercial learning and leadership development for Alkermes and a member of the LTEN Board of Directors. Email Jenn at jennifer.muszik@alkermes.com or connect through linkedin.com/in/jennmuszik.