Capability develops through practice, but judgement develops through exposure. As AI accelerates some forms of capability development, are we creating future leaders and trusted advisors at the same rate? This article explores how capability compounds over time, and why broad exposure to people, contexts and problems may matter more than ever.

Professional development often happens beneath the visible work people perform. Beneath the task layer sits a less visible capability layer. This post challenges the assumption that tasks are the most important part of work and argues that organisations should focus on preserving and intentionally developing the underlying capabilities as AI changes how work is performed.

The Capability Factory illustrates how organisations create future expertise, experience and judgement through work. AI is beginning to disrupt many of the lower-level activities that have traditionally formed part of this development journey, raising the question of how organisations will continue to create expertise if the work people learn from changes significantly.