Listening to podcasts is a great way to support your learning and development while on the go.
Some of the best leadership podcasts provide actionable advice and personal insight to help you with your professional journey.
Best of all, you can use your commute or chore time to tune into these podcasts, many of which are freely available.
If you’re not sure where to dive in, check out 24 of the best leadership podcasts below. These shows will coach you through times of change and help you discover new habits to make yourself an effective, successful leader.
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1. Dare To Lead
Centered on an ethos to lead as “a change catalyst,” Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead podcast provides insightful conversation from guests like organizational psychologist Adam Grant and thought leader Simon Sinek, best known for his TED Talk about WHY which stacked over 60 million views.
Brené is a master at explaining emotional and psychological needs in the workplace, and she focuses on the intersection of personal and professional growth, so you can bring your best self to your team. Her podcast challenges leaders to bring a new line of thought, passion, and a strong “Why?” to how they lead.
Available on: Spotify
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2. A Bit of Optimism
New York Times Bestselling writer and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek hosts the podcast A Bit of Optimism focusing on a wide range of topics, from life to leadership, and all the positive notes in between.
You’ll find inspiring stories to motivate you to not only be a better leader but to approach issues and problems as a human first.
Guest come from all walks of life—poets, NBA Hall of Famers, and Harvard Business School professors—and Simon focuses on both their personal and leadership journeys.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher
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3. Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast
Dale Carnegie’s iconic book How to Win Friends and Influence People is a ubiquitous leadership book for any people manager or CEO. Eventually, it evolved into a course and subsequent podcast, Take Command.
The Take Command show is a conversation-based podcast, offering wisdom from a diverse range of leaders in various industries. Guests range from professional baseball players to startup founders, and episodes cover everything from building a purpose-driven life to putting people first in your team.
Available on: Apple Podcasts
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4. How I Built This hosted by Guy Raz
Leading a team and affecting real change while trying to build a successful business takes a lot of nuance.
Host Guy Raz’s hit show How I Built This focuses on entrepreneurship and business sense from some of the most successful startups and corporations out there.
Guests share their stories of creative and leadership development, and how many of them took a product or business idea to the next level. Guy Raz expertly offers a probing narrative so listeners can take big lessons from real-world problems.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts
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5. WorkLife with Adam Grant
Organizational psychologist and Wharton professor Adam Grant hosts the TED podcast WorkLife, where he investigates unusual professions and unpacks themes like unconscious bias or managing a return-to-office.
The goal? Find inspiration, learn, and make work not suck. Episode highlights include an episode with Dolly Parton on creativity, an investigation into why we tend to procrastinate, and a discussion on the rough draft with George Saunders.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts
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6. Diversity Beyond the Checkbox
Hosted by author, speaker, and certified diversity executive Jackie Ferguson, the podcast Diversity Beyond the Checkbox highlights insights from leaders worldwide.
Jackie, who also co-founded executive coaching firm The Diversity Movement, dives into leadership lessons that go beyond the performative DEI.
Weekly episodes covered topics from healthcare equity, diversity in tech, and addressing ableism at work. Perfect for any leader looking to kickstart or grow their DEI programming.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts
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7. We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle
Best-selling author of Untamed, Glennon Doyle cohosts the We Can Do Hard Things podcast with her sister Amanda Doyle, and her wife, pro soccer player Abby Wambach. The podcast covers personal growth alongside professional development and isn’t afraid to dive into emotional, taboo, and personal topics.
The show has had notable guests like Vice President Kamala Harris, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Dolly Parton. Covering vulnerable topics with powerful professionals and change makers, listeners will find inspiration and motivation for challenges at work and in life.
Available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
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8. Coaching for Leaders with Dave Stachowiak
With over 25 million downloads, Coaching for Leaders with Dave Stachowiak is one of the top management podcasts on Apple and serves as a great resource for any leader’s personal development.
Host Dr. Dave Stachowiak chats with well-known authors, business experts, and various leaders to cover timely, relevant, and thought-provoking content, from how to manage up to how to build psychological safety.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast
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9. The Leadership Habit
Produced by the Crestcom Leadership Institute, The Leadership Habit podcast teaches you to embrace transformational leadership and build your management style. Episode topics cover building resilience, how to become an effective leader, and ethical decision-making.
Known for its international leadership training, the Crestcom Leadership Institute uses the show as an additional medium to nurture and support ethical leaders to better the world around us.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts
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10. Business Accelerator Podcast with Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller
Formerly Lead to Win, the Business Accelerator Podcast hosted by father and daughter duo—New York Times best-selling writer Michael Hyatt and CEO Megan Hyatt Miller— promises to help veteran and rookie business leaders sustain long-term success.
The podcast unpacks everything from time management to incorporating AI into your team’s flow. Under its new name, the format includes interviews with impactful leaders and “on-air” coaching sessions.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts
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11. Women’s Leadership with Sabrina Braham
The Women’s Leadership podcast offers monthly episodes filled with career development and executive coaching. Host Sabrina Braham interviews successful women leaders and CEOs to provide timely and timeless insight for professional and personal development.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, iHeartRadio
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12. At the Table with Patrick Lencioni
At the Table with Patrick Lencioni invites leaders to sit down for an approachable discussion on topics related to work and leadership, from workplace dysfunction to building culture.
With humor, wisdom, and insight, author and people management expert Patrick Lencioni guides conversations to help listeners come away with actionable takeaways and understanding.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts
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13. HBR Presents Coaching Real Leaders with Muriel Wilkins
Staple to business owners and leaders, the Harvard Business Review (HBR) provides a unique podcast series with author and executive coach Muriel Wilkins.
The aptly named show, Coaching Real Leaders with Muriel Wilkins, dissects professional challenges executives, managers, and entrepreneurs face from finding meaning at work to adapting your leadership style as your team changes.
The podcast features coaching sessions in real-time to provide context for personal and professional issues, which will help any listener develop similar skills or processes in their own experience. Any leader will find useful tips for personal growth or leadership development.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts
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14. Masters of Scale
The Masters of Scale show helps listeners cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset with business advice from Silicon Valley and beyond. The show utilizes two episode formats: a classic format and a Rapid Response format, so you’ll have both longer eps and bite-size listens.
In the classic format, LinkedIn co-founder and Silicon Valley investor, Reid Hoffman, encourages guests to open up about the very human journey of scaling and taking a business from a startup to a global brand. The Rapid Format, hosted by Bob Safian, tackles timely topics from crisis response and how to grow your diversity and inclusion goals on your team.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music
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15. The Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast
Pastor, author, and founder of North Point Ministries, Andy Stanley takes his experience as a spiritual guide and communicator to help others foster leadership skills.
Through the conversational format with long-time cohost Lane Jones, the podcast covers topics from finding your focus to how to lead with integrity.
Available on: Apple Podcasts
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16. The Jocko Podcast
Jocko Willink is a decorated retired Navy SEAL officer, author, co-founder, and host of The Jocko Podcast. Joined by producer, Echo Charles, this conversational podcast investigates discipline and leadership habits in business, war, and everyday life.
Guests come from various walks of life, from the military to the arts, and talk about personal and professional lessons learned during high-stakes and everyday situations.
Available on: Apple Podcasts
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17. LEADx Kevin Kruse
New York Times best-selling author and LEADx CEO Kevin Kruse hosts the LEADx podcast, where he interviews top leadership experts and business executives from Dan Pink to Ken Blanchard.
The show provides on-demand leadership coaching to help anyone accelerate their career and manage personal and professional issues. You’ll learn topics from mindfulness to how to succeed in the digital economy.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts
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18. Leadership Biz Cafe with Tanveer Naseer
What if you could sit down with a cup of coffee and some of the world’s top leadership experts? Tanveer Naseer’s podcast Leadership Biz Cafe serves just that with guests like Adam Bryant, author of the CEO test, and business writer and speaker, Tom Peters.
The Internationally acclaimed TEDx speaker and leadership coach sits down with experts in an interview-style format where they cover leadership habits while exploring the nuances and challenges in our modern workplace.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible
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19. Leadership and Loyalty
Recognized as a top leadership speaker and corporate cultural strategist, Dov Baron takes his expertise and strong interview skills to his popular podcast Leadership and Loyalty.
Best-selling author and founder of Full Monty Leadership, Dov Baron’s show chats with leaders like psychologist Dr. Ellen Langer and entrepreneur Tom Bilyeu about the twists and turns of their careers.
Available on: Spotify
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20. Women Taking the Lead
Hosted by Jodi Flynn, Women Taking the Lead is a weekly podcast that covers leadership lessons that highly impact women in business. You’ll see episodes covering how to master imposter syndrome, identify unseen mental loads, and improve DEIB at work.
Listen to “on-air” coaching as Jodi supports women leaders with their personal or professional development. Discover how real women found success in their leadership journeys.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, iHeartRadio
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21. Maxwell Leadership Podcast
New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and coach, John Maxwell is considered one of the world’s most influential leadership experts. His show the Maxwell Leadership Podcast centers on what it means to be a transformational leader in any business.
If you’re a professional committed to making a difference in your team and supporting others, you’ll enjoy episode topics like how to become a resilient leader or ways to cope with discouragement.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Amazon Music
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22. How Leaders Lead with David Novak
Learn how to get big things done with leadership expert David Novak. His podcast How Leaders Lead invites big names such as business expert Indra Nooyi and the great NFL quarterback time Peyton Manning to sit and share their paths to success.
David probes guests on how they make a difference in their communities and industries. You’ll find inspiration and takeaways from top minds.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play
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23. TED Talks Daily
The TED Talks Daily podcast, hosted by journalist Elise Hu, invites leading experts in various fields from AI to Zoology. The podcast features a range of leadership lessons from “how to sell and self-promote without shame”, to fighting ageism in tech, and everything in between.
Fans of TED Talk presentations will enjoy this daily deep dive into personal journeys, from how guests felt lost, found strength, or changed perspective.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts
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24. Entreleadership with Dave Ramsey
Entreleadership, hosted by radio personality Dave Ramsey, invites you to learn from real-world entrepreneurs and business professionals in real time.
A successful CEO and financial leadership expert himself, Dave takes “live” caller questions and helps them work through professional challenges on air. You’ll hear a range of situations like how to establish annual bonuses the right way or how to prepare for Gen Z entering the workplace.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube
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Keep Listening
Here are some other lists of leadership podcasts:
- Motivational personal development podcasts that inspire self-growth and improvement in leadership skills
- Insightful management podcasts offering strategies and tips for effective team and organizational management
- Comprehensive business leadership podcasts discussing the challenges and successes of leading in the business world
- Engaging team building podcasts that explore methods for creating and maintaining strong, cohesive teams
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Ready To Press Play?
Leadership podcasts are an inspiring avenue to discover new voices, learn new leadership styles, and find inspiration from real, effective professionals in any field.
About David Rice
I’ve been writing about HR since the first confirmed cases of COVID turned the industry and workplace on its head. I’ve specialized in the areas of HR technology, DEI, employee experience and talent management. Through that work I’ve been able to consult on leadership development, employee resource groups and employee engagement strategies.
Learn more about the author.
This article originally appeared on PeopleManagingPeople.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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