The potential of action learning (AL) for academic development has not received a lot of attention. Building from two case studies in which AL has been used in different ways in research-intensive universities in Australia and the UK, we suggest that the approach may be of benefit to developers in the changing landscape in which they are expected to function. The opportunities for and challenges of leadership for AL in educational development, particularly involving non-academic staff, are also briefly explored. We argue that AL offers a way to engage academic and related staff groups that fits with their institutional culture and is therefore likely to lead to the kind of continual professional learning and positive change that will be both valued and valuable in academia. Furthermore, we believe that AL might offer productive ways forward for the further evolution of academic development work, especially, perhaps, in research-intensive settings.