profile

Andrew Barry

Founder & CEO, Curious Lion

ICs can do more on their own with AI than ever before. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for L&D. This newsletter explores how to equip ICs with the influence skills that drive retention, accelerate OKRs, and position L&D as a strategic partner to the business. (Sent twice a month).

PostsLinksBook a Strategy Call
Grayscale lion points to a storm with lightning outside a window while suited animals at a conference table face away, ignoring the warning
Featured Post

[3-2-1] How many good ideas died quietly this quarter?

Hi Reader, Welcome to the 11th edition of the 3-2-1 (check out previous issues here). I write about transforming ICs into Impact Contributors. And today, we’re talking about the untapped intelligence sitting in every department of your organization. Let’s get into it. 3 Things for Work (in L&D) 1. Andy Grove - Only the Paranoid Survive (Farnam Street) Grove called them “Cassandras.” Front-line employees and middle managers who spot risks and opportunities before senior leadership does. He...

13 days ago • 2 min read
Grayscale lion stands in an empty room as a hand offers a ‘Be An Owner’ poster, highlighting motivation without tools or resources

Hi Reader, Welcome to the 10th edition of the 3-2-1 (check out previous issues here). I write about transforming ICs into Impact Contributors. And today, we’re talking about the gap between what companies expect and what they actually enable. Let’s get into it. 3 Things for Work (in L&D) 1. When There’s Nowhere to Promote a Star Employee (HBR) Career advancement doesn’t only mean climbing the org chart. Rebecca Knight argues that decoupling title progression from career growth is how you...

27 days ago • 2 min read
Grayscale lion assembles a financial dashboard by hand, pinning charts and graphs to a teal-framed board with sticky notes and tools

Hey Reader, Welcome to the 9th edition of the 3-2-1 (check out previous issues here). I took some extra time off over the holidays, because that first week back was a hectic one, wasn't it? But we're back, and I'm excited you're here reading this. Today, we’re talking about why AI rewards thinking instead of replacing it. Let’s get into it. 3 Things for Work (in L&D) When Working With AI, Act Like a Decision-Maker—Not a Tool-User (HBR) AI’s speed and confidence are seductive. People...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Grayscale lions at different rungs of a ladder share stories, symbolizing company hierarchy, set against a teal circle with a yellow upward arrow.

Hey Reader, AI has changed the rules. The gap between "I have an idea" and "here's the finished output" has collapsed from weeks to minutes. Suddenly, the bottleneck shifts from execution to judgment and storytelling. These forms of leadership are not just critical at the top of the org. They're needed where the problem or opportunity arises. That's what this week's edition is all about: leadership as a capability that needs to exist all the way down. Welcome to the 8th edition of the 3-2-1...

2 months ago • 3 min read
Grayscale lion sits cross-legged using a laptop while reading a book; a yellow line links book to a lightbulb over a teal circle, blurring work and learning

Hey Reader, Welcome to the 7th edition of the 3-2-1 (check out previous issues here). You're getting this because you care about developing people. I write about transforming ICs -> Impact Contributors (and I took last week off for Thanksgiving 🦃). Today, we're talking about learning in the flow of work. Let's flow then, shall we? 3 Things for Work (in L&D) Learning In The Flow of Work (Josh Bersin) The article that coined the term. Bersin argues that knowledge workers have just 24 minutes...

3 months ago • 2 min read
Grayscale lion cashier at a retail checkout reviews a receipt; teal circle backdrop, yellow growth arrow, and bar chart on the monitor

Hey Reader, Welcome to the 6th edition of the 3-2-1 (check out previous issues here). You're getting this because you care about developing people. I write about transforming ICs -> Impact Contributors. And today, we're talking about Universal Perspective. Let's get into it. 3 Things for Work (in L&D) The Case For Writing A compelling look at why to get your people writing as part of their learning. If writing is thinking, outsourcing this to AI is regressing. 🏋️♀️ Effort ≈ 4 min read Hiring...

3 months ago • 2 min read
Grayscale lion sprinting with motion lines; yellow arrows and a stopwatch over a teal circle signal record speed.

Hi Reader, Welcome to the 5th edition of the 3-2-1 (check out previous issues here). You're getting this because you care about developing people. I write about transforming ICs -> Impact Contributors. And today, we're talking about working with AI. Let's get into it. 3 Things for Work (in L&D) How to Be an Effective Early-Stage Employee The most helpful framework I've seen for developing your career as an individual contributor. Even more relevant now when AI accelerates your ability to do...

4 months ago • 2 min read
Two grayscale lions sit together; one rests a hand on the other’s shoulder in comfort, with a teal circle, red heart, and yellow upward line behind.

Hi Reader, Welcome to the 4th edition of the 3-2-1 (check out previous issues here). You're getting this because you care about developing people. I write about transforming ICs -> Impact Contributors. And today, we're talking about human skills for the future of work. Let's get into it. 3 Things for Work (in L&D) The Era of Continuous Reskilling A pragmatic roadmap to close the AI skills gap: model executive AI use, bridge the agent awareness divide, and pivot to skills-based growth with...

4 months ago • 3 min read
Four grayscale lions collaborate at a table as a yellow growth arrow and magenta bars signal outsized, scalable team impact

Hi Reader, Welcome to the 3rd edition of the 3-2-1 (check out previous issues here). You're getting this because you care about developing people. I write about the Irreplaceable IC. And today, we examine this pivotal role in the future of work. Let's get into it. 3 Things for Work (in L&D) NotebookLLM on Tiny Teams A treasure trove of insights from AI-first companies operating with crazy scale (think 20-person teams of ICs doing $50M ARR). You can ask questions like, “how are these teams...

5 months ago • 2 min read
Grayscale lion in a blazer presents a rising bar chart to boardroom executives; teal circle backdrop and yellow arrow.

Hi Reader, Welcome to the second edition of the 3-2-1 (check out previous issues here). You're getting this because you care about developing people. I'm sharing what I'm learning about the IC development opportunity. And today, we focus on communication. Let's get into it. 3 Things for L&D Middle managers fade as AI rises Evidence of “Great Flattening” accelerated by AI in Gusto data (8,500 SMBs): ~6 ICs per manager in 2025 vs ~3 in 2019. Fewer manager layers → more end-to-end responsibility...

5 months ago • 2 min read