Every effective leader should be looking for a more productive way to fill in the time commuting to work. Podcasts are an easy way to inject a little more self-learning into your day, without cutting into your time too much. So ditch the music you’ve been listening to for a while, give your email inbox a rest and instead try one of our top 5 leadership podcast picks…
1: HBR Ideacast by Harvard Business Review
If you can only add one of the podcasts on this list to your listening repertoire, HBR Ideacast should be the one. This weekly podcast from the Harvard Business Review shares research published in the journal, along with deeper insights from industry professionals and authors. As opposed to being purely interview style (like many podcasts are), each podcast focuses on a specific topic or piece of research. From culture and leadership, to brand and marketing, the vast array of topics means you can choose what appeals to you and apply it to help you progress in your career.
2: Manager Tools
Tired of management theory? Want to learn specific skills to help improve your management performance? Then Manager Tools is the podcast for you. Manager Tools is a weekly business podcast that shares tangible strategies, focused on helping professionals become more effective managers and leaders. Each week, they discuss specific actions for professionals to take to achieve their desired management and career objectives. Manager Tools won Best Business Podcast Award in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2012 as well as the People’s Choice Award in 2008.
3: Masters of Scale by Reid Hoffman
Want to learn from some of the most successful tech billionaires of our time? Then this podcast is for you. In Masters of Scale, LinkedIn Co-Founder, Reid Hoffman, leverages his impressive tech network to bring his audience lessons from some of the prominent founders and CEOs in the world – Mark Zuckerberg (Founder of Facebook), Brian Chesky (Co-Founder of AirBnb) and Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook) to name a few.
While his guests tend to be from the tech industry, the lessons and principles they share are relevant to any leader who wants to bring innovative and entrepreneurial principles into big business.
4: The CEO Show
The CEO Show with Robert Reiss is a 19-minute interview format radio show and podcast where Robert Reiss interviews CEOs, in order to draw out the practices that have resulted in success. Since 2007, Reiss has interviewed over 500 CEOs in a variety of industries, including James H. Quigley of Deloitte, Anne Mulcahy of Xerox, and even David Stern, former commissioner of the NBA. A veritable wealth of knowledge and experience, The CEO Show is enormous in scope and definitely worth a listen.
5: TED Talks Daily
Want TED Talks on the go? Every weekday, this feed brings you Ted’s latest talks in audio format. Hear thought-provoking ideas on every subject imaginable – from Artificial Intelligence to leadership, and everything in between – given by the world’s leading thinkers and doers. While the talks don’t always strictly focus on leadership and management, it’s an easy way to keep on top of new innovations that could impact the world and workplace.
