From Order-Taker to Strategic Partner: Building Influence and Impact in L&D
Dr. Christie Vanorsdale, Ed.D, Ms.Ed.
Think and Execute Like a Learning Leader
Transform from L&D order-taker to strategic business partner with C-suite access
Break Out of the “Order-Taker” Role in L&D
Most L&D professionals get stuck taking orders—creating courses without influence over strategy. Even with strong skills, they struggle to:
• Connect learning to business results leaders value
• Gain buy-in or budget for ideas
• Navigate organizational politics
• Break through the ceiling that limits growth
This 4-week course gives you the tools and language to operate as a strategic partner. You’ll learn to audit learning ecosystems, build executive-ready business cases, map stakeholder influence, and design phased implementation plans that prove impact.
What to Expect
A 4-week blend of self-paced lessons and live collaboration:
Week 1: Learning Ecosystem Audit
Week 2: Building Business Cases (+ Live)
Week 3: Stakeholder & Implementation Planning
Week 4: Capstone Presentations (+ Live)
Projects & Community
Project 1: Audit a real training request
Project 2: Create a Strategic Implementation Plan
Takeaway: Build a portfolio with audits, business cases, and influence maps—plus a positioning statement showing your readiness for strategic L&D roles.
What you’ll learn
Transform from L&D order-taker to strategic business partner using proven frameworks that secure executive buy-in.
Learn to align training goals with business metrics and organizational priorities.
Present learning initiatives as strategic solutions, not support requests.
Map how learning connects to operations, culture, and performance outcomes.
Identify and address system-level barriers that limit learning effectiveness.
Translate learning data into outcomes leaders recognize as business impact.
Confidently frame L&D proposals around measurable organizational gains.
Develop repeatable ways to approach learning requests with clarity and strategy.
Strengthen your credibility as a thoughtful, evidence-informed L&D professional.
Learn directly from Christie
Dr. Christie Vanorsdale, Ed.D, Ms.Ed.
Dr. Christie Vanorsdale, Ed.D, Ms.Ed.
Doctor of Education with 15+ years building evidence-based learning ecosystems.
Who this course is for
The Frustrated Senior ID Senior instructional designers tired of being order-takers who want strategic influence and leadership advancement.
The Ambitious L&D Manager L&D managers seeking C-suite access and organizational influence to drive business impact.
The Strategic Learning Professional Learning professionals ready to transition from tactical execution to strategic business partnership.
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Dr. Christie Vanorsdale, Ed.D, Ms.Ed. in a real-time, interactive format.
Lifetime access
Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.
Community of peers
Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.
Certificate of completion
Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.
Maven Guarantee
This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.
Syllabus
2 live sessions • 30 lessons
Week 1
Schedule
Live sessions
2-3 hrs / week
There is a combination of baseline reading, additional resources to view/read, instructor-made videos, an asynchronous to community to share /engage with instructor and peers and 2, 1 hour live sessions.
Fri, Dec 5
10:00 PM—11:00 PM (UTC)
Mon, Dec 15
10:00 PM—11:00 PM (UTC)
Projects
1-2 hrs / week
Async content
1-2 hrs / week
Frequently asked questions
$425
USD