In the past two weeks, AI systems did something that should stop every leader (and really, everyone) in their tracks.

Autonomous agents connected with other agents. They coordinated behavior. They developed shared rules and internal logic. They operated inside a social network designed for machines. And they did all of this with little to no human oversight.

This is both impressive and deeply unsettling. But, what matters is that decision-making, coordination, and influence are already happening beyond direct human control.

Most humans, and most organizations are not prepared for it.

For years, AI has been framed as a tool. Something to deploy, optimize, or automate. Responsibility was pushed toward technical teams, vendors, or governance documents that rarely keep pace with reality.

That framing no longer holds.

AI now shapes choices, workflows, priorities, and outcomes. When no one is clearly accountable for how those systems behave, leadership has already failed. Not because of bad intent, but because of absence.

This is why we built Strategic AI Leadership in Business.

The program starts next week to address the widening gap between AI capability and leadership readiness. This program exists to help leaders take responsibility for AI in their organizations before responsibility is forced on them by failure, crisis, or unintended harm.

Over five live weeks, participants work on the real leadership work AI now demands.

You will learn how to position AI as a business capability that sits inside strategy.

You will translate ambition into execution across work, workforce, culture, data, processes, governance, and systems. You will assess whether your organization is actually ready for AI.

You will design governance that enables innovation without surrendering accountability. And you will explore how AI reshapes value creation, power, and decision-making at enterprise scale.

This program is about learning how to lead when tools act with increasing autonomy.

The program is designed for leaders who influence AI decisions even when they do not own the technology. For executives, HR and people leaders, transformation leaders, strategy and operations leaders who are already being pulled into conversations they were never trained for.

The program begins next week. From February 13 through March 13, on Fridays from 8 to 10 am Pacific Time

If there is one thing the past two years have made clear, it’s this: the challenges of AI adoption, integration and use, are human and leadership, rather than technological.

Most business leaders and professionals are still being asked to “lead AI” without the strategic frameworks, execution discipline, governance judgment, or organizational fluency required to do it well.

That gap is exactly why we created Strategic AI Leadership in Business, our flagship Associate-level AI leadership program.

And it starts next week.

Strategic AI Leadership in Business is focused on learning how to lead organizations in the age of AI. It is one of the few global learning programs focused on leadership, rather than “prompting” (or the “mechanics” of AI).

This five-week, live Micro-Certificate program is designed to help leaders move from:

The program is built around one core idea:

Across five intensive weeks, you will develop the leadership capability to:

Each class is grounded in real-world leadership decisions, using strategic frameworks, applied analysis, and simulation-based thinking that reflect how AI leadership actually works in organizations today .

This program is designed for:

If you are being asked to influence AI adoption without formal authority, align stakeholders across functions, justify investment, manage risk, and still deliver results, then this program was built for you .

By June of this year, we are launching our first scientific, validated global AI certification: PCSI-GSAIL (PCSI-Global Strategic AI Leadership).

The Strategic AI Leadership in Business Micro-Certificate Program is intentionally designed as a springboard to that certification.

Participants who complete Strategic AI Leadership in Business will:

This program exists to help you step into this inflection moment in history with clarity, credibility, and confidence, and to lead AI as a core business capability.

If you’ve been waiting for the right place to start, this is it.

We look forward to learning with you.

After almost a year working on it, thousands of conversations in dozens of meetings with hundreds of contributors globally, on Monday, we are releasing one of our most important documents for HR: the Global HR Capability Framework.

We built the Capability Framework as a universal reference model for modern HR work.

It defines what HR capability actually is by mapping 18 domains, 180 competencies, and three observable proficiency levels per competency into a single, coherent system. It is designed to be stable, tool-agnostic, and globally applicable, so organizations can map roles, learning, and development to it without rewriting it every year.

The framework does not prescribe how HR should operate. It defines the capability boundaries and shared language needed to develop, assess, and grow HR professionals with clarity and consistency across roles, regions, and career stages.

This framework will sit underneath everything we do, from certificate programs to certifications, because leadership without clear capability definitions eventually breaks down.

We are planning to revise it two times per year, and it will open for contributions from everyone.

Stay tuned for more information on Monday!

We want to take a moment to show you what Hacking HR (and our academic brand: People and Culture Strategy Institute) have built for 2026, and why we believe this is the most ambitious, comprehensive, and accessible learning portfolio ever created for HR and people leaders, anywhere in the world.

Click here to learn more: 2026 Learning Portfolio.

Our mission is simple but bold: to unlock the potential of 12 million HR and people leaders worldwide by giving them unlimited access to the most extensive learning ecosystem, tools, and community, at the most affordable price point in the world .

2026 is the year when people and culture are no longer support functions. They are strategic systems that determine whether organizations execute, adapt, and survive.

This portfolio was designed for leaders who need to:

Live Certificate Programs (9-week, cohort-based, practitioner-led)
Our flagship certificates develop deep, applied capability across the most critical domains of HR and people leadership, including:

Each program is delivered live, led by global faculty from organizations like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Deloitte, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, and more, and designed for immediate real-world application.

Micro-Certificate Programs (5-week, hands-on, highly practical)

Built for focused skill development that translates directly to the job, including:

Mini-Master Degree Programs (19–20 weeks, graduate-level depth)
Designed for senior practitioners and teams ready to elevate their strategic impact:

These programs include applied projects, advisory input, and frameworks participants can immediately use at the executive level .

Global Certifications (Scientific, Validated, Evidence-Based)

In 2026, we are launching our first global certifications developed under rigorous psychometric standards:

These are independent credentials designed to assess real leadership competence, not course completion .

Virtual Summits (Global, Strategic, Practitioner-Led)

Seven major live virtual summits in 2026, including:

Each summit is designed to connect strategy, practice, and peer insight .

In-Person BUILD Workshops & Summits

Hands-on, outcome-driven experiences where participants come to build, not just attend:

Delivered at intentionally accessible price points to expand access to high-impact learning .

Community: Chapters & Learning Pods

Community is not optional. It is core to how learning sticks and leadership grows. Click on the links above if you are interested to join an existing community or express your interest to lead one.

All of this—programs, certificates, micro-certificates, mini-masters, summits, community, and events—is included through our memberships.

No per-program fees.

This is the largest HR learning marketplace in the world, offered at a fraction of the cost of individual courses, conferences, or certifications elsewhere.

ALL these Certificate Programs are included in our Premium Membership (only $199 per person, per year!). Log in to the hacking HR LAB and visit the Learning Center to learn more about each learning program, download the syllabi, and enroll.

💬 Do you have questions about team memberships? Connect with Assia, our new Growth Director. Connect with Assia on LinkedIn. Email her at [email protected]

😊😊 We are Still Celebrating…

Take 10% off all Holiday Season gear while it lasts! Mugs that say what you really mean in meetings, t-shirts that speak fluent burnout, or digital checklists, ebooks, and templates that might actually save your sanity

Swag for your soul. Resources for your role.

👉 Visit our store

Thousands of HR executives will gather at these upcoming summits in 2026 to shape the future of work:

If your company provides solutions in HR tech, benefits, people analytics, DEI, or workforce strategy, these events are your opportunity to connect with the exact decision-makers who control HR budgets and are actively searching for partners.

👉 Book an Intro Call with Laurie Baggarly: [email protected] to explore sponsorships and secure visibility at the summits where HR leaders are making buying decisions.