Cameron Hedrick on leading, learning, and living with AI
In Leaders in Learning, we sit down with industry leaders and explore their lives and experiences to uncover the learning principles, key moments, and common threads that shape careers, businesses, and journeys. Through these collective stories, we'll piece together the bigger picture of what it means to be a leader in learning.
In this episode, we jam with Cameron Hedrick , Head of Learning & Culture, Managing Director at 花旗 .?
Cameron’s not one to toot his own horn (unless it’s his beloved trumpet), but he’s kind of a big deal. He’s an award-winning CLO and seasoned leader with over 30 years in the finance industry and 20+ years in L&D and HR leadership, during which he’s guided teams through some of the toughest challenges in modern history, including a financial crisis and pandemic.
A lifelong learner and former professional musician, Cameron’s career began with the trumpet—a passion that taught him discipline, collaboration, the art of creating within constraints, and (surprisingly) basic finance skills. These early lessons continue to shape his leadership style, which blends strategic foresight with a deep understanding of human complexity.
In this episode, Cameron shares his unique perspective on building skills-based organizations, embracing the evolving relationship between humans and AI, navigating transformation, how HR and L&D can create the conditions for success, and all that jazz.
Nerd out with Cameron (his words, not ours!) in the full episode, or read on for the highlights.
Becoming a skills-based organization
TL;DR: Treat your organization’s skills like a portfolio—measure, manage, and strategically deploy them to meet business needs.
There’s a lot of buzz around the concept of a skills-based organization (SBO). (Something Josh Bersin explores in episode 1.) But make no mistake, SBO is more than just a buzzword—it’s a business necessity. One that, according to Cameron, requires a mindset shift.
“To be a skills-based organization, you have to begin to think like you're managing your skills portfolio like you would a stock portfolio or real estate portfolio.”
“Humans are an amalgam of skills and attributes,” says Cameron. So, the first step to becoming an SBO is taking stock of your organization's skills by asking critical questions like, “How much Python do I have in the entire organization? (Where is it, and what's the quality of it?) How many people do I have with strong collaboration skills? (Who has it? And where do I need it?)”
The good news is most organizations already operate with some degree of skills-based thinking (whether they realize it or not). “Everybody, always, for all eternity has been running a skills-based organization. When you hire somebody, you're trying to get that certain thing to fit. But it's very analog and very one-off,” Cameron explains. The key is to view skills collectively, as a portfolio, and think ahead. “You need to understand the big arc of the story. Like what skills are dying and what skills are coming up?”
Want to make the move to an SBO mindset? Here's a start:
As AI transforms the workforce, understanding and deploying skills will become even more critical.
AI and humans: Collaborators, not competitors
TL;DR: AI isn’t here to replace us—it’s here to enhance our abilities. (Spoiler alert: You’re already enhanced.)
Cameron points to generative AI as an obvious area where people and organizations will need to beef up their skills. But he rejects the idea that AI will eliminate jobs overnight. A view many of our previous guests share (including Taggart McCurdy and JZ). “I don’t subscribe to this apocalyptic, ‘everybody's going to be out of a job’ narrative,” he says. “Most roles don’t just die off instantly. They tend to die slowly. Like a skill here gets replaced, an activity there gets replaced. And over time, the roles shift.”
“Do I think generative AI is a step change in a new way? 100%. Is it going to displace everybody tomorrow? No.”
As roles shift, Cameron believes HR and L&D leaders must actively create pathways for employees to adapt. “Human obsolescence is absolutely a real thing,” he notes, but with the right systems, “we can actively work against personal obsolescence.”
For Cameron, the idea of AI enhancing human capabilities isn’t new. “The concept of AI and humans working together is already in our blood. The most obvious example is your phone—you're already augmented. The thing that's going to change over time is the space between you and the technology…it’s going to get closer and closer and more and more tight-knit.” (In a sci-fi-like twist, Cameron shares that he recently created an AI proxy of himself. “It works extraordinarily well. It’s the ultimate arbiter, the ultimate mirror.”)??
Still, Cameron is adamant that no technology can replace uniquely human qualities. (At least, not yet.) “Humans are imbued with some magical, durable things that are impossible to code,” he says, pointing to traits like compassion and creativity. “We are, by design, puzzle pieces that have to fit into the next person and the next thing. These are things that are very durable, that are not going to disappear with AI and in the near future. And I think we should be optimistic about the future.”
How to thoughtfully integrate AI to enhance your workforce:
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Leadership will play a key role in helping teams navigate this evolving relationship between humans and AI. As someone who’s led teams through various crises, Cameron knows a thing or two about leading through uncertainty.
Leading through transformation and crisis (and lessons learned)
TL;DR: Proactively align systems and communicate relentlessly during change.
Not all crises are created equal.?
“There are two kinds of crises that I've lived through in a very senior role: COVID and the financial crisis. Both are crises that were brought on by the universe that you didn't have a lot of control over. And in my view, those are actually easier to navigate than the crises you have to generate for yourself.”??
As Cameron points out, navigating transformation and crisis requires a nuanced approach. In his experience, externally driven crises, like a pandemic or economic meltdown, demand immediate, dynamic responses.?
His advice to anyone leading through an external crisis: “Communicate more than you think you have to. Shrink all your timeframes as much as possible. And involve as many people as you can to make decisions.”
“Be comfortable with saying, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I can’t tell you,’ and just move through it with as much humanity as you can.”
In contrast, leading through a crisis of your own making, one that's more in our control—like the crises of political dissent and civil issues (a topic Daniel Garcia Alfisi tackles in episode 6, drawing on his time at ByteDance)—requires more intentional effort to rally stakeholders, align systems, and sustain momentum over time. In both scenarios, Cameron underscores the importance of transparency and authenticity.
When asked if navigating these crises has impacted his approach to leadership, he replies, “I wouldn't say these crises fundamentally changed the way I lead.” He’s always been a transparent, heart-led leader—attributes he says show up well in times of crisis. “What it has taught me though, less as a leader and more as a human, is that humans are way more resilient than I had imagined.”
Strategies for navigating change:
Successfully leading through a crisis is about balancing urgency with humanity, ensuring alignment while embracing uncertainty. But that's only part of the equation. HR and L&D leaders play a critical role in shaping the environments where people can navigate, adapt to, and embrace change.
The role of HR and L&D: Creating the conditions for success
TL;DR: HR and L&D leaders are behavior architects, creating conditions for learning and growth while embracing the messy, imperfect nature of humans.
Cameron offers a refreshingly candid perspective on the role of HR and L&D in organizations: “You’re a businessperson first and an HR person second. If you lead with learning theory or HR policy, you will not be invited back.” ( Jessica D. Winder offers similar advice in episode 5.) He also reframes HR and L&D as enablers rather than enforcers.
He thinks of himself as a "behavior architect”—not the learning police. He explains that his job isn’t to make people learn, but rather to create the conditions with the “least amount of friction for those who want to learn to learn.”
I'm not the learning police. I do not make you learn.
He admits that even the best friction-free systems won’t yield perfect outcomes because “humans are squishy and messy and random.” As a result, progress isn’t always linear. “A lot of executives think there's a linear relationship between what you tell a person to do and what they will do. It never works that way.”?
He stresses that it’s about bridging the gap between "knowing" and "doing” giving this all too relatable example: “I know how to get ripped. But I still eat brownies. It's not the knowing. It’s the doing.”
Cameron's secrets to success:
Cameron’s approach challenges HR and L&D leaders to focus on enabling growth (not controlling it) while embracing the unpredictable nature of human behavior. By prioritizing compassion and authenticity (leadership qualities Jason Weeman extols in episode 3), alignment with business goals, and adaptability, organizations can unlock potential, even in the face of imperfection.
Our conversation with Cameron provides a roadmap for the future of work—but it also serves as an important reminder of what it means to lead with humanity. Fittingly, Cameron closes with a simple but powerful message for us all: In a world obsessed with progress and technology, “be unapologetically human.”?
Want more? Cameron dives deeper into creating an AI avatar, democratizing learning, the role of compassion in leadership, and more. Watch the full episode and get the big picture of how to lead in an ever-changing world.
If you have any thoughts or questions about anything covered in episode 9, we'd love to hear from you in the comments. And, if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to Leaders in Learning so you'll never miss an episode.
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2 周At mid- senior level of leadership even I must say unaware of my ability or one of the leadership strength I have been a behavior architect for years creating growth environment. I can relate to the leadership quality Cameron sharing here of not being the learning police but to create path for growth for those who are ambitious and committed to themselves. This article is very enlightening and guiding. Thank you Docebo team!