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Learning Changemakers podcast

Learning Changemakers podcast

Written by: Laura Overton
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About this listen

 Working out the future of L&D together. Some of the most important moments in professional development don't come from training programmes or frameworks. They come from a conversation that stop us mid-thought and make us see something differently. That's what this podcast is for. Hosted by researcher and pattern-maker Laura Overton, Learning Changemakers is a space for working through the real challenges facing L&D professionals at every stage of their career—navigating disruption, AI, shifting business expectations, and a profession in the middle of redefining its own value. Each series takes a big question and explores it in extended conversation with people who've thought deeply about it. These aren't polished answers. They are the kind of conversation where something shifts mid-sentence, where we all learn something we didn't expect. Because here's the thing: the best insights come from asking better questions and exploring together. If you're ready to stop waiting for someone to tell you what the future of L&D looks like, start working it out with us. Let's learn together.2026 Economics Education
Episodes
  • Episode 1: What does it mean to lead in L&D?

    Episode 1: What does it mean to lead in L&D?
    Apr 14 2026

    Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers open the Learning Changemakers series with a question they thought would be simple: what does it actually mean to lead in L&D? What they discover is that leadership in this profession isn't about a title or a team - it's about orientation. How you see yourself, how you show up, and whether you're willing to step forward even when nobody's asked you to. Along the way, they introduce the principles and mindset at the heart of their book The L&D Leader, and start to uncover why the biggest shifts in our profession may not come from new tools or models but from how we think about ourselves.

    Download the transcript

    Mentioned in this episode

    • The L&D Leader by Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers (Kogan Page) - the book that sparked this series and the principles explored throughout
    • The Learning Performance Benchmark — Laura's 15-year longitudinal study into what makes learning innovation deliver business impact
    • James Swift, Leyton — his story of bringing a sales background into L&D is explored in The L&D Leader and in Michellle's interview with James for Learning Uncut

    A question to sit with

    What does leadership in L&D actually mean to you — not the title, but the practice? Where are you already leading, even if nobody calls it that?

    Digging deeper

    • Ashoka's "Everyone a Changemaker" movement - the inspiration behind Learning Changemakers

    Keep in touch

    Laura Overton - LinkedIn | learningchangemakers.com

    Michelle Ockers - LinkedIn
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    34 mins
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