Strategic training alignment isn't optional—it's a leadership imperative. When executives fail to connect business strategy with learning initiatives, the consequences are costly: skill gaps that impede execution, wasted development budgets, and a workforce questioning the relevance of training. Research shows alignment of strategy and talent accounts for 60% of the difference between high and low performing companies, yet only 57% of L&D functions are well-aligned with strategic priorities. The solution requires a multi-level leadership approach, with executives articulating capability implications of strategy, mid-level leaders translating enterprise goals into function-specific requirements, and frontline leaders ensuring learning translates to performance. Organizations that establish strong governance mechanisms and strategic capability mapping transform learning from a peripheral function into a strategic driver of performance.