The other day I was reviewing someone’s LinkedIn profile and saw the phrase:

“20 years of experience.”

For most of my career, that number signaled credibility.

But lately I find myself reacting differently.

And before anyone jumps to conclusions, this is not a commentary on age. Ageism is alive and well in many industries, and dismissing people because they have decades of experience would be just as misguided as dismissing someone because they are young.

But something else has changed.

If you are a CEO or CHRO building an executive team today, the real question is not just how much experience someone has.

The real question is this:

How do you know you are selecting leaders who will stay relevant?

Because in a world where technology, AI, and business models are evolving this quickly, the shelf life of knowledge is shrinking.

Research from organizations like BCG and Harvard Business Review suggests that the half-life of many professional skills is now less than five years. In ...

MBA programs teach future executives how to read a P&L, model cash flow, and pitch investors, but not how to leverage HR as a growth engine.

That blind spot has a real price tag.

When leaders don’t understand how to use strategic talent practices, three things happen:

• Businesses lose efficiency and competitive advantage.

• Employees lose opportunities to grow and thrive.

• CHROs lose time re-educating peers instead of accelerating impact.

It’s not a small gap. It’s systemic.

The Blind Spot in Executive Education

Business schools focus on finance, strategy, and operations, but rarely on strategic HR or talent management.

AACSB accreditation doesn’t require it either.

You can graduate from a top business program having never learned how to align talent with strategy.

The Data Is Overwhelming

McKinsey found that companies that develop and deploy human capital well are the most profitable in their industries.

Gallup shows highly engaged workforces deliver 23% h...