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Listen up: Information, innovation, inspiration
Podcasts are learning and development power tools. 73% of U.S. adults have listened to a podcast (and 40% do so weekly!) to discover trends, sharpen strategies, and take ideas from some of the best minds in the business. Use commutes, dog walks, and lunch laps to pull ideas from operators, researchers and leaders.
With a vast range of topics, from AI to a-ha!, we’ve curated the best L&D podcasts that deliver big value so you can skip the scroll. From leadership and talent development to AI, instructional design and future-or-work insights, these podcasts help you stay ahead of the curve.
Podcast categories you’ll find here:
- Core L&D and training strategy
- Leadership and talent development
- Future of work and workplace culture
- Instructional design and eLearning
- HR and people strategy
- Customer education and enablement
- Organizational development and change
Quick snapshot: L&D podcasts 2026
In a hurry and want a quick, scannable list?
Start here for a quick list of some of our top picks, but keep reading below the table for a bigger list with descriptions.
There’s no single global chart for every L&D hot topic, but we’ve triangulated podcasts from credible signals like platform rankings, review volume, and visibility and put them in a table.
Note that this chart isn’t a definitive “most downloaded” list, but the podcasts here represent shows that are recognized and discussed in the learning space.
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- Category + Podcast name
- Popularity
- Why it's worth your time
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- Core L&D: Workplace Stories (RedThread Research)
- 4.7 Apple rating. A steady chart presence; active 2025–26 episodes (skills, AI, manager effectiveness).
- Data‑literate, practitioner‑led insights you can take to your CFO.
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- Core L&D: Excellence at Work (Brandon Hall Group)
- 4.5 Apple rating with multiple analyst hosts; 287+ episodes
- Research-driven insights from one of the most cited HCM analyst firms, a shortcut to trends in all aspects of L&D.
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- Core L&D: The Talented Learning Show (John Leh)
- 100+ episodes in 2025; solid Apple 5-star, focused on LMS evaluation/analytics; strong presence in customer ed community.
- Cuts through vendor noise; helps you pick and implement systems.
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- Leadership & talent: WorkLife (Adam Grant)
- Apple rating 4.8 with ~8.9K reviews; seasons previously #1 in Apple’s Management; million‑plus ears/episode.
- Evidence‑backed leadership you can apply next week.
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- Leadership & talent: Learning Leader (Ryan Hawk)
- Top 0.1% global rank; 670+ episodes; weekly cadence.
- Relentlessly practical leader habits and systems.
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- Future of work & culture: New Way We Work
- Fast Company’s flagship work trends show with current guests and timely topics.
- Helps you design culture that survives hybrid reality.
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- Instructional design: The eLearning Coach
- Long‑running, theory‑to‑practice episodes that outlast tool cycles.
- Better design decisions, fewer abandoned modules.
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- HR & people strategy: HR Leaders
- Consistent executive guests; straight talk on transformation.
- Global POV, no platitudes.
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- HR & people strategy: HR Happy Hour
- One of the most cited HR podcasts; wide coverage of HR tech & trends.
- Use to brief your CHRO and vendor‑select with confidence.
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- Customer education: CELab
- Program design for adoption; tactical frameworks.
- Turn onboarding into impact.
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- Customer education: Customer Education Nuggets (John Leh)
- Fast-growing niche mini-pod with frequent 8-10 minute episodes.
- Zero-fluff, analyst-grade micro-episodes from one of the strongest voices in customer education.
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- Org dev & change: At Work with The Ready
- Active episodes on adaptive orgs; operating system thinking.
- Move from reorg to real agility.
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Keep reading for a more comprehensive look at the L&D podcasts that are catching our ears for 2026.
Best podcasts for core L&D and training strategy
Perfect for anyone tasked with aligning L&D programs to business goals, scaling training across teams, or navigating the tech that powers modern learning. L&D managers, training coordinators, learning strategists
Workplace Stories by RedThread Research: Data with a pulse. Stacia Garr and Dani Johnson bring hard insights from operators (skills, AI, measurement) and make them usable. them usable.
Excellence at Work by Brandon Hall Group: Research‑backed playbooks for learning effectiveness and talent performance. This podcast delivers practical strategies from industry experts on learning effectiveness, talent management, and organizational performance.
The Talented Learning Show: Buyer’s guide energy with John Leh. LMS evaluation, implementation, and analytics for people who have to choose, deploy, and defend platforms. Episodes feature one-on-one conversations with industry leaders on driving engagement through personalized learning, mobile strategies, and emerging tech like AI, AR/VR, and learning analytics. Episodes feature one-on-one conversations with industry leaders on driving engagement through personalized learning, mobile strategies, and emerging tech like AI, AR/VR, and learning analytics.
Start here to build a rock-solid foundation for your learning strategy. Go beyond theory and get practical frameworks, proven tactics, and insider perspectives on what drives engagement and measurable impact.
Best podcasts for leadership and talent development
Perfect for leadership development specialists and succession planning professionals or anyone driving talent strategy, coaching high-potential employees, or navigating organizational change with confidence.
Talent Development Hot Seat: Practical frameworks for coaching high-potentials. Host Andy interviews talent development pros and thought leaders to share best practices, trends, and proven strategies for building stronger teams and driving growth.
People Managing People: Practical leadership in the age of AI, hosted by David Rice. Episodes feature real-world advice from innovators and executives on people-first leadership, performance systems, and workplace culture.
Worklife with Adam Grant: Evidence-driven and sticky. Hosted by organizational psychologist Adam Grant, this podcast takes you inside the minds of fascinating professionals to uncover science-backed tips for thriving at work. From embracing healthy rivalry to turning frustration into fuel, each episode offers practical insights to help you rethink how you work and lead.
The Learning Leader Show: Operators teaching operators. Hosted by Ryan Hawk, with 670+ episodes, this top-ranked business podcast features candid conversations with top performers like Jim Collins, Seth Godin, and Adam Grant. Great for manager --> leader transitions.
Start here if you’re responsible for shaping leaders who can thrive in uncertainty. These podcasts deliver practical and actionable tips on leadership development, succession planning, and building resilient teams.
Best podcasts for the future of work and workplace culture
Perfect for strategic thinkers, culture leaders, anyone interested in workplace trends and design strategies that keep people engaged and organizations competitive.
New Way We Work: Modern work trends. This Fast Company podcast dives into the trends redefining work, from flexibility and inclusion to leadership strategies for the modern era.
Culture Uncovered: Under-the-hood culture. This podcast digs into the hidden forces behind team dynamics, employee engagement, and organizational behavior. Each episode offers practical insights for leaders looking to build stronger, more inclusive cultures.
The Business of Learning: From learning to P&L. Award-winning, this podcast explores how L&D leaders align training with organizational goals, measure impact, and adapt strategies for the future of work. Expect real-world examples and expert perspectives on making learning matter.
Start here if you’re planning for the future of work or shaping a culture that thrives in change. These podcasts deliver actionable insights on hybrid work, inclusion, and the skills economy so you can lead transformation with proactive confidence.
Best podcasts for instructional design and eLearning
Perfect for instructional designers, course developers, and content creators who want to craft learning experiences that deliver results. Whether you’re building interactive eLearning modules, designing microlearning, or creating blended programs, these podcasts offer practical tips, creative inspiration, and expert (actionable!) insights to keep your designs fresh and effective.
The eLearning Coach: Design theory to daily practice. Hosted by Connie Malamed, this podcast covers everything from learning theory and instructional design strategies to tools and tech shaping eLearning.
Designing with Love: Human-centered design meets usable frameworks. This podcast explores the art and science of instructional design, blending creativity with practical frameworks for building impactful content.
Start here if you’re obsessed with designing courses and mastering content creation that engages and puts you ahead of eLearning trends.
Best podcasts for HR and people strategy
Perfect for HR business partners and talent management professionals who want to shape strategies that drive performance and engagement. If you're navigating workforce transformation, improving employee experience, or aligning HR initiatives with business goals, these podcasts deliver a mix of practical insights and expert perspectives.
The HR Leaders Podcast: No-nonsense global perspectives. This show features candid conversations on people strategy, workforce transformation, and leadership best practices.
Workology: Actionable HR ops. With 400+ episodes, Workology dives into modern workplace trends and topics like compliance and talent acquisition, case studies, and tools that you can deploy tomorrow.
Honest HR: Craving real talk about HR challenges? This podcast tackles tough and relatable topics like ethics, inclusion, and employee well-being with transparency and insight for the real world.
Start here for practical guidance and expert perspectives to help you confidently create a people-first culture.
Best podcasts for customer education and enablement
Perfect for customer success managers, education specialists, and product trainers who want to turn onboarding and training into a growth engine. If you’re building scalable education programs, improving adoption, or driving retention, these podcasts deliver proven strategies and expert insights to help you succeed.
The CELab: Build scalable programs that stick! The Customer Education Lab podcast dives into best practices for designing scalable learning experiences that improve product adoption and customer success. Expect actionable advice from industry leaders on creating programs that deliver measurable impact.
Customer Ed Nuggets by John Leh: Quick, actionable tips for customer education. This podcast delivers bite-sized insights on building programs that engage learners, improve adoption, and strengthen customer relationships—all in under 10 minutes per episode.
Start here if you’re responsible for customer success or product adoption and want practical strategies to turn education into a competitive advantage.
Best podcasts for organizational development and change
Perfect for OD practitioners, change agents, and culture specialists who want to boldly lead transformation. If you’re redesigning structures, driving cultural shifts, or implementing change strategies, these podcasts deliver expert insights and real-world examples.
At Work with The Ready: Big, small, and common workplace challenges. This podcast challenges traditional organizational structures and explores adaptive, human-centered approaches to building resilient teams and systems.
The Learning Hack: Learning innovation meets organizational impact. This show links tech to behavior and outcomes, all things related to the future of learning.
Learning Uncut: Practical examples of learning transformation in action. Strategies, tactic, and how-to's, this podcast shares case studies and actionable advice from organizations navigating complex change initiatives. Less theory, more before/after.
Start here if you’re leading change or shaping organizational strategy to get practical frameworks and fresh ideas.
The bottom line with your 2026 podcast list
Pick the podcasts that will sharpen your thinking and change how you work. The future of learning isn’t only in your books and your inbox. It’s in your earbuds, too!
