Great leaders learn from the best and are continually honing their craft. They are always trying to learn more and improve themselves so that they can better manage others and succeed both personally and professionally. While it’s always a good habit to regularly read books, management podcasts provide an ongoing database of resources that you can listen to anywhere.
Podcasts are simple and convenient, and they can fill in time that might otherwise be spent unproductively. We all struggle to find enough time in a day, and that sentiment couldn’t be more true of managers. The best part about podcasts is that you can listen to them while commuting to and from work, exercising, walking, cleaning, showering, etc.
We covered the Best Podcast for Professional Development in a previous post that’s well worth checking out no matter your industry, as well as the Best Podcasts for Admin Professionals. In this post, we focus on the best podcast for managers and aspiring leaders.
9 of the Best Management Podcasts
Good leadership podcasts aren’t hard to come by, but the many, many management-themed podcasts that are out there can be overwhelming for first time listeners. There are literally thousands of episodes—how do you decide which ones to listen to and where to start? We’ve outlined 9 management podcasts that provide actionable strategies for managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs.
See what interests you most, and then jump in to give it a try! We’ll also provide resources that rank the most popular episodes for well-known podcasts, so you can begin with the episodes other people found the most helpful and inspiring.
1. The $100 MBA Show
The $100 MBA Show has 120,000 daily listeners and a long list of accolades. The podcast shares real world business lessons from industry experts and leaders.
They boast no fluff episodes that get straight to the point with actionable lessons and business building training. The experts highlighted on the podcast aren’t there to promote themselves or tell their backstory; they are there to share solid business lessons that you can implement yourself to become a better leader.
Episodes range in length but are on the shorter side compared to other management podcasts. The 10-20 minute episodes provide bite-sized strategies that get to the point straight away.
The content library for The $100 MBA Show is huge (approaching 2000 episodes), with new episodes added every couple of days. Recent topics include Can You Future Proof Your Business?, Top 3 Tools for New Businesses, Why You Should Invest in Video Marketing, and How to Deal With a Sudden Loss of Revenue.
🎙 Not sure where to start? Check out the Most Downloaded Episodes of The $100 MBA Show.
2. Manager Tools™ Podcasts
Manager Tools is a management consulting firm that supports and empowers both managers and professionals. The Manager Tools™ Podcasts is hosted by Michael Auzenne and Mark Horstma and features over 700 episodes that cover the specific, actionable skills that will improve your management performance. Give it a listen to learn how to become a more effective manager or leader.
It’s the details and actionable strategies that make this podcast stand out. You won't find generic topics; instead, you’ll find specific actions that will help you achieve your management and career objectives. There’s a new episode weekly. Past topics include How to get more time to focus on your priorities, How to hold effective meetings, How to start setting annual goals, and Guidance on direct reports feedback.
In 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2012, Manager Tools won the Best Business Podcast Award as well as the People's Choice Award in 2008. If the 700+ episode catalog wasn’t enough, they also have other award winning podcasts, including Career Tools, which is a weekly podcast focused on growing and enhancing your career with actionable strategies.
Not sure where to start? They have a curated list called Manager Tools Basics that covers 23 core curriculum episodes for new listeners and those who want to gain experience managing people. You can also view the most downloaded Manager Tools podcasts on OwlTail.
3. Coaching for Leaders
The Coaching for Leaders podcast is independently produced by Dr. Dave Stachowiak, who has more than 15 years of leadership experience at Dale Carnegie, the worldwide leader in professional training and development.
Bestselling authors and expert researchers delve into how to be a good manager and leader, including deep conversations about taking responsibility, building confidence, enhancing your career, and developing strong relationships. The goal of the podcast is to deliver at least one key idea you can put into practice immediately from every listen.
The podcast hit more than 20 million downloads and is the #1 search result for management on Apple Podcasts. There are over 500 episodes so far. Recent topics include The Path Towards Trusting Relationships, How to Strengthen Your Network, and How to Help People Thrive.
🎙 Not sure where to start? Check out the Most Downloaded Episodes of Coaching for Leaders.
4. HR Leaders
The HR Leaders podcast posts multiple episodes per week for a catalog of over 400 episodes. The host Chris Rainey explores the future of work with experts and HR executives from leading global brands.
It’s a podcast for leaders who want to look to the future and find answers to questions like what does the future of work look like? Why is work changing? What are leading organizations doing about rapid change? Thinking about and better understanding the future of work goes beyond how to be a good manager to how to be a great manager. You’ll gain the insight you need to lead teams both now and in the uncertain years to come.
🎙 Not sure where to start? View the Most Downloaded HR Leaders Podcast Episodes.
5. Business Wars
Business Wars is hosted by David Brown and produced by Wondery. The concept for this podcast pairs rival brands against each other to shed light on valuable business lessons from big brand names. The episodes provide real stories of what drives big name companies as well as the leaders, inventors, investors, and executives behind them.
New episodes are added every Monday and Wednesday, with over 350 episodes available so far. Recent topics include Häagen-Dazs vs. Ben & Jerry's, Southwest vs. American Airlines, and Food Delivery Wars.
🎙 Not sure where to start? Find the Best (Most Downloaded) Episodes of Business Wars on OwlTail.
6. Happiness at Work
The Happiness at Work podcast by Management 3.0 focuses on a very important topic for managers, leaders, business owners, and office professionals. The podcast tackles a range of topics surrounding workplace happiness with 20-30 minute episodes.
Listen to interviews of authors, entrepreneurs, coaches, and industry experts to learn how they are fostering happiness in the workplace. The team at Management 3.0 wants happiness at work to be the 'norm' and not the exception so that everyone can live passionate and purposeful lives.
There are over 205 episodes with new topics discussed every week. Recent episodes include The Secret to Creating A Genuinely Inclusive Company, What it Takes to Build Happier Companies, Why Self-Awareness Leads To Happiness, and How to Make Your Job Work For You.
🎙 Not sure where to start? Here are the Best (Most Downloaded) Happiness at Work Episodes.
7. What Great Bosses Know
What Great Bosses Know is a podcast by Jill Geisler, the popular author of WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW. She’s an expert in leadership and management with years of experience guiding leadership and management programs.
She continues to teach and coach leaders worldwide and dedicates this podcast series to sharing practical leadership lessons for managers who want to be great bosses.
Listen to the What Great Bosses Know podcast to learn how to think like a boss and become a better manager in a digital world. There are about 150 episodes in bite-sized 5-minute segments. It’s an older podcast, but the lessons on leadership, communication, and trust remain relevant to managers, leaders, and entrepreneurs.
8. Beyond the To-Do List
The Beyond the To-Do List podcast is dedicated to all of those who feel overwhelmed by their long and ever-growing list of duties. It’s hosted by productivity podcaster Erik Fisher and has over 300 episodes and counting.
Erik helps people look past what’s bogging them down, such as everyday obligations and never-ending to-do lists, through strategies that help people prioritize. He interviews renowned experts and authors who discuss how they implement practical productivity strategies in their personal and professional lives. The focus isn’t on how to get more done but on how to more effectively manage your time, define what matters most, and, ultimately, live a more meaningful life.
Topics include everything from Creating and Optimizing a Reading Habits, How to House Clean Your Online Presence, How to Get Things Done with Depression, and How to Get Better Sleep With Screen Curfews.
🎙 Not sure where to start? Here are the Best (Most Downloaded) Beyond the To-Do List Episodes.
9. Standard Office Procedures Podcast
The Standard Office Procedures Podcast is a Blue Summit Supplies brainchild. As many of you may know, we’re big fans of helping admins, managers, and other business professionals succeed both inside and outside of the office. During our 1 hour episodes, we dig into topics surrounding workplace etiquette, communication, wellness, happiness, and more.
Standard Office Procedures evolved from The Admin Hour so that we could expand our scope to include all kinds of professionals. The podcast discusses how professionals live and grow through culture, communication, and candor.
Get the inside scoop on Handling Impatience at Work, Virtual Meeting Etiquette, Making Yourself Indispensable, and Preventing Burnout in the Workplace. There are about a dozen episodes so far, with many more on the way, as well as a back catalog of Admin Hour topics.
More from Blue Summit Supplies
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💡 Impactful Leadership Activities for Team Building
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