Dyana Langley-Robinson, MBA

This #VeteransDay, I’m reflecting on what veterans bring to every part of our business. Their service doesn’t stop when they take off the uniform. It continues in the way they inspire teams, solve problems, and strengthen our culture. At Cisco, we honor that service by creating pathways for veterans to keep leading, growing, and making an impact. I recently joined Steve Amsden and my friend Jason Phillips on The Headstrong Project's #CEOConnect Podcast to talk about how we support veterans in building meaningful careers at Cisco. Here's a short teaser from our conversation. You can find the full episode in the comments.

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While I wasn’t able to join the Hacking HR Talent Strategy & Acquisition Summit panel as planned, I remain deeply aligned with the mission of the session: Connecting DEI to Business and Hiring Outcomes. 🎯 Thank you to the Hacking HR team for the opportunity and for creating space for this vital conversation. I still want to share a few thoughts I had prepared because this work is too important to leave unsaid. 🎙️ 🟩 DEI and enterprise talent strategy must be twinning or at least shaking hands. If your DEI efforts live in one department and your hiring strategy lives in another, you’re missing the straight-line connection that drives real outcomes. Reflective representation, equity, and inclusion must be embedded into how we attract, assess, onboard, and grow talent - not just how we talk about it. 🟩 Skills-first hiring widens the gate, not lowers the bar. When we prioritize lived experience, transferable skills, and potential over pedigree, we unlock brilliance that traditional filters often miss. This isn’t about lowering standards—it’s about removing barriers. 🟩 Culture is the strategy, and people are the proof. You can’t build a high-performing organization without a culture that honors dignity, belonging, and psychological safety. Culture isn’t a vibe—it’s a system. And it shows up in how people are hired, treated, and retained. 🟩 Accountability is love in action. Metrics matter. Dashboards matter. But what matters most is the courage to name harm, repair trust, and lead with integrity. DEI accountability isn’t punitive—it’s restorative. 🟩 Healing and hiring must walk hand in hand. Especially in today’s climate, we must recognize that people bring their whole selves to work which includes their trauma, their hopes, and their need to be seen. Performance management, onboarding, and leadership development must be designed with empathy at the core. Whether your organization still uses the term “DEI” or has restructured priorities or shifted language, that's okay. What matters most is the spirit put behind the work. The labels may evolve but the commitment to equitable systems and policies, reflective representation, and intentional belonging must remain. I’d love to hear how you’re connecting these dots in your own work. What’s working? What’s shifting? What still feels hard? Let’s keep the conversation going. #DEI #TalentStrategy #InclusiveLeadership #ReflectiveRepresentation #PeopleAndCulture #HealingCenteredWork #HackingHR #TheMaygreenCompany 💚

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As LinkedIn's 2025 Workplace Learning Report states, career progress is people's number one motivation to learn. And, as we all know, fueling a culture of continuous learning leads to innovation. At Verizon, we’re investing in career development in a big way, refreshing practices and introducing new tools to expand our employees’ options for future roles. So, what does that really mean? It's all about providing our people with greater ownership to build the career path they want. Sometimes it’s hard to know how to get from point A to point B. With the help of technology and AI, our V Teamers are able to map out next steps including one or two roles into the future. They receive suggestions for training and development opportunities, and alerts with available jobs that match their skill sets. Here’s the best part: Since transforming our approach, we’ve seen a remarkable increase in employees applying for and moving into new roles across the organization. And 1 in 3 of these moves is to a different job family! Investing in our employees is an investment in our company’s future. Giving them the clarity they need to take their careers where they want to go creates an engaged and empowered workforce. We’ve seen it firsthand. What are your top observations from the LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report? Let me know in the comments. #HR #WorkforcePotential #TalentStrategy

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Most conversations about proximity in leadership focus on proximity bias, the idea that we favor those who are physically or relationally closest to us. But what if we flipped that paradigm? True proximity isn't about comfort or sameness. It's about deliberately moving closer to people who are different from us. Across backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. That's where the real growth happens. When leaders lean into difference, they don't reinforce bias, they expand perspective. They gather more unique insights about how people experience work, which leads to smarter, more inclusive decisions. According to Forbes "employees who feel able to bring their whole selves to work are 42% less likely to plan on leaving for another position within a year." How are you challenging your own comfort zone to get proximate across difference? https://lnkd.in/eatR96qa

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Today, I'm thrilled to share Cisco's 2025 AI Readiness Index, looking at how organizations are navigating technology and building on the insights from our recent AI Workforce Consortium report. While global readiness remains at 13%, we're finding that these 13% of "pacesetters" are seeing tangible value in their profitability, productivity, and innovation. The report also highlights dynamic regional shifts, with countries like South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil demonstrating accelerated readiness. Here, nearly 1 in 5 companies are pacesetters, setting an example of what readiness can look like across regions. AI readiness is an ongoing journey that requires a comprehensive approach across six pillars: strategy, infrastructure, data, governance, talent, and culture. The Index offers insights and recommendations for each, and I encourage you to read the full report available here: https://lnkd.in/gb3XyqVX

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Companies must embrace AI or risk being run over by competitors who use the technology more effectively. The shift toward 100% AI-written code and physical AI as the next major frontier for the industry were key highlights of the day. Leadership and human EQ are more vital than ever to help teams navigate the uncertainty of the AI revolution.

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