Best Mind Tools Ltd Podcasts (2025)

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474 — So long 2025, what's hot for 2026? 41:58

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1h ago41:58

41:58

What a year it was! In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, HowNow's Nelson Sivalingam joins Ross G and Ross D to reflect on 2025 and look to emerging trends in 2026. We discuss: AI (obviously) and how it's evolving the rise of instructor-led training how market consolidation is changing the choice of suppliers for L&D leaders. In 'Wha…

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93. Emotional Leadership: The Secret Weapon Of High Performers 17:20

24h ago17:20

17:20

Emotional leadership is what high performance is all about. High performance often rewards pushing through, but that habit quietly drains us. The key is emotional leadership: allowing every emotion to move through your body, then consciously choosing how to direct that energy. Many high achievers treat difficult emotions as distractions, but suppre…

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473 — Learning at LV= 30:41

3d ago30:41

30:41

How do you run an organization-wide learning function with just two people? At LV=, that's the main focus for Talent, Learning and Development Partner Rob Foster. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Rob joins Claire and Ross G to discuss: how building relationships throughout the organization helps support induction, mentoring and reverse mento…

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92. When The Body Says Yes And The Mind Says No 11:58

10d ago11:58

11:58

Your body lights up, your heart races, and you can feel the future tugging you forward...then your head barges in with doubt, logistics, and delay. That tug-of-war is the heart of this episode, where we unpack why a full-body yes so often becomes a mental no and how to move with clarity before momentum dies. We dig into high performance energetics …

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472 — Delivering business value 41:51

10d ago41:51

41:51

The L&D industry has always talked about 'business value' as an elusive concept. Now, a new book from Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers, The L&D Leader: Principles and Practice for Delivering Business Value, articulates what that looks like in practice. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, they join Ross D and Dr Anna to discuss: how L&D teams c…

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471 — A long-term view on learning 38:01

17d ago38:01

38:01

In many organizations, not least within L&D, urgent and important short-term challenges often crowd out the bigger picture. So, how do we step back and take the long view? In this week's episode, Ross D and Claire are joined by Nina Bressler, founder of Reimagined Value, to discuss: Nina's background and what she means by the term 'societal learnin…

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91. Stop Dimming Your Light: The Power Of Energy Mastery 10:20

23d ago10:20

10:20

This week, I'm taking you behind the scenes of a transformative moment in my journey with energy mastery. I'm sharing an incredibly personal story about my relationship with self-expression, body confidence, and the courage to show up fully. We often dim our light by hiding behind baggy clothes, playing it safe, or not feeling worthy of expressing …

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470 — AI in L&D: The Race for Impact 34:08

26d ago34:08

34:08

Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, Donald Taylor and Eglė Vinauskaitė have released four reports exploring L&D's use of AI. In this week's episode, Don joins Ross D to discuss the latest report — AI in L&D: The Race for Impact. We cover: What's changed over the last three years, and why we're at an inflection point How L&D's use of AI ha…

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90. The Number One Reason You Keep Holding Back From Your Highest Potential And What To Do About It 12:46

28d ago12:46

12:46

You're an energetic being, incredibly powerful and potent, here to create a life full of joy, fulfilment and expansion. Once you move through the noise of overwhelm, self-doubt, overthinking, people-pleasing or dimming your light, and fully step into the fact that you are pure energy and pure essence, absolute magical things happen. The problem is …

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469 — How businesses can hold on to their best people 27:59

1M ago27:59

27:59

In his book Targeting Turnover, Dick Finnegan argues that, as the global population ages and more people enter retirement, it is imperative for organizations to retain the talent they already have. In this week's episode, Dick joins Claire and Cammy to discuss: Why turnover is a problem for businesses The strategies organizations can deploy to redu…

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89. Collapsing 3 Years Into 3 Hours 18:36

1M ago18:36

18:36

Everything is energy. When you learn to sense and stabilise your personal frequency, opportunities land faster and relationships smooth out - not through force, but through coherence between inner state and outer behaviour. Your personal energetic vortex becomes available, where self, universe, and higher power meet. Nervous system care stitches it…

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468 — What can L&D learn from product management? (Rebroadcast) 35:08

1M ago35:08

35:08

Hello listeners! No new episode this week, but we wanted to take the opportunity to revisit our 2021 'documentary special' on product management. It took a lot more work than our usual roundtable format, but we think it paid off. ;) To make this episode, we spoke to Myles Runham, Sukh Pabial, Danny Seals, and Gemma Paterson, discussing: what produc…

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88. I Got Lost In Chat GPT 10:30

1M ago10:30

10:30

When's the last time you noticed yourself reaching for ChatGPT when you already knew the answer? I'm totally with you - I did it too! In this raw and honest episode, I'm sharing how I got a bit too comfortable with AI - and how it started working against me rather than for me. What began as a helpful tool slowly became something else entirely. It f…

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467 — Decisions, decisions, decisions... by AI? 40:15

2M ago40:15

40:15

When Dr Anna Barnett, Ross Garner and Ross Dickie discussed the role of empathy in decision-making in Episode 463, they started to ponder the role that AI plays in our decisions. In this week's episode, Ross Garner, Anna and Gemma return to the topic of smart decisions to continue that conversation. We discuss: The impact AI is having on our decisi…

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87. Connect To Your Success 10:58

2M ago10:58

10:58

Big dreams can feel amazing and terrifying at the same time. You're excited, then frozen, waiting for someone to give you permission to start. But you don't need anyone's permission. Giving it to yourself is the practical first step that breaks the cycle of waiting. Try imagining your dream has already happened. Journal about it in past tense. Feel…

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466 — What L&D should (and shouldn't) be doing with AI 30:50

2M ago30:50

30:50

According to Donald Taylor and Egle Vinauskaitė's recent AI in L&D: The Race for Impact report, 'creating learning content' and 'learning design tasks' remain the primary use cases for AI in learning and development. But should they be? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, L&D consultant Heidi Kirby joins Ross D and Claire to discus…

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86. Decide To Be Successful: 4 Beliefs To Break For Unlimited Growth 10:22

2M ago10:22

10:22

What if you just decided it was already done? That one shift - from "will this work?" to "it's done, now I act" - changes everything. You stop second-guessing and start moving like someone who's already there. It's not fake confidence. It's just knowing you're worthy right now, not once you've proved something. But most of us hit these four walls: …

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85. Success That Feels Good In Your Bones 12:02

2M ago12:02

12:02

You know that feeling when something just clicks? Not because you ticked a box or impressed someone, but because something in you just... knows? That's what this episode is about. We're talking about success as a feeling rather than a trophy or a title. Something you can actually sense in your body before it shows up anywhere else. We dig into Nevi…

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465 — The business impact of play at work 41:47

2M ago41:47

41:47

All children play but, over time, that instinct goes away. We don't lose it, we don't forget. Instead, we get taught to stop. For author and toy designer Cas Holman, that's a problem. With a very real impact on business performance. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Cas joins Ross G and Gemma to discuss: how traditional workplace…

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464 — Order taker to strategic business partner 40:14

2M ago40:14

40:14

Why does L&D so often feel like the drive-thru window of requests—'one leadership program, hold the ROI please'? As L&D professionals, it's not who we understand ourselves to be. So how can we flip the script so that we're seen and treated as strategic business partners? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, we're joined by Jess Alml…

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463 — The empathy problem: Balancing emotion in decision-making 40:43

3M ago40:43

40:43

Decision-making is a key aspect of being a manager, and a complex mix of skills, experiences, judgments and instincts. So how do you help your managers make smarter decisions at work? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, our own Dr Anna Barnett reveals insights from our new report 'The empathy problem: Balancing emotion in decision-…

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462 — Umbrage over troubled water: Disputing last week's episode 38:15

3M ago38:15

38:15

Last week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, L&D Detective Kevin M Yates joined Ross D and Dr Anna to talk about isolating the impact of training at work. When listening back, Ross G took umbrage at some of the claims made by his Mindtools colleagues and so, this week, we re-litigate! We discuss: Are control groups really worth it? How else can you meas…

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461 — It takes a village: Isolating training's impact 36:28

3M ago36:28

36:28

Is it up to the humble L&D pro to change people's behavior at work? Or is it up to everyone? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, return guest Kevin M. Yates (aka The L&D Detective) speaks to Anna and Ross D about: How to isolate the impact of training at work What other factors influence performance How L&D pros can demonstrate the…

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460 — The irony of L&D: When do we develop ourselves? 35:41

3M ago35:41

35:41

As learning and development professionals, we spend most of our days thinking about how we help others build their skills. But how many of us neglect our own development while doing so? It's what L&D advisor, writer and speaker David Kelly calls 'The Irony of L&D', and in this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, David joins Ross G and Clai…

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459 — OHLs over OKRs: A new approach to goal-setting 48:35

3M ago48:35

48:35

Objectives and Key Results have long been a staple of the working world. You set a stretch objective, define the results that will tell you if the objective has been met, and scaffold throughout the organization. Then what? Often, nothing happens. The OKRs were too vague. In extreme cases, the worst happens: people bend the rules to hit aggressive …

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Busy Lives, Better Food — With Lucy Marvellous 48:31

4M ago48:31

48:31

In this episode of the Mind Kind Podcast Jo talks with Lucy Marvellous, author of ‘I’ll Have What Lucy is Having’ The Cook Book of easy recipes for busy people who want to eat food that helps them stay well. Lucy is a teacher who started to give cooking classes to help people cook great food that is good for them. She loved the results she saw for …

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458 — What do you bench(mark)? 36:11

4M ago36:11

36:11

Here at Mindtools Towers, we're no strangers to benchmarking in L&D. We've regularly mentioned our Learning Performance Benchmark over the years, and we dedicated an entire episode to 'The value of benchmarking' back in 2021. So, naturally, we were intrigued when David James released the 'L&D Maturity Model', and wanted to invite him onto the show …

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Time to Eat with Joy Again — The Foodsane Way 34:13

4M ago34:13

34:13

In this special episode, the tables are turned as Dr. Joanna North is interviewed by former guest Dr. Sara Riley. Together, they explore Jo’s personal journey with weight management and how Time Related Eating transformed her relationship with food. This episode offers a preview of the ideas behind Jo’s upcoming book, Foodsane, which explores her c…

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457 — Evaluation or justification? 39:53

4M ago39:53

39:53

Now for something completely different! A couple of weeks ago, Carl Akintola wrote a provocative guest post for The L&D Dispatch, challenging L&D practitioners to interogate their motives for measuring learning impact. Are they in it purely for the sake of evaluation and continuous improvement? Or are they merely trying to justify their own existen…

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456 — Building tolerance in the workplace 33:35

4M ago33:35

33:35

We know that surrounding ourselves with diverse people at work brings variety in expertise, opinions and ways of working, which can boost creativity and productivity. Sometimes those differences however, can be challenging. How can we make the most of difference? This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Liggy Webb, author of Tolerance: How to respec…

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455 — The case (for some people) to go back to the office 33:09

4M ago33:09

33:09

In their new book, In Praise of the Office, Wharton professor Peter Cappelli and workplace strategist Ranya Nehmeh argue that 'the case for in-office work has never been stronger'. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Peter and Ranya join Ross D and Claire to explain why they believe this to be true. We discuss: The benefits and downsides to in-…

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454 — Designing learning experiences that feel authentic 33:10

5M ago33:10

33:10

If we want to motivate learners to engage with an experience, it stands to reason that we need to present that experience in a way feels authentic and relatable to them. But what are the limits to authenticity in the workplace? And are some of the conventions of learning design at odds with authentic communication? This week on The Mindtools L&D Po…

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Thinking Distortions: Unpicking the Thought Tangle 41:00

5M ago41:00

41:00

How to spot unhelpful thought patterns and reconnect with calm, clarity, and choice. In this episode of The Mind Kind Podcast, Dr. Joanna North explores how the way we think can shape our experience of the world — sometimes for the worse. From habitual thought patterns to cognitive distortions, Jo explains how our minds can trick us into reacting i…

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453 — What's your e-learning P(doom)? 35:34

5M ago35:34

35:34

If you spend any time scrolling LinkedIn, attending L&D conferences, or listening to industry podcasts, it might seem like AI is about to usher in the end of e-learning as we know it. But is e-learning really dying, or is it just evolving? This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Kineo's Cammy Bean joins Ross D and Ross G to discuss: The probability…

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452 — Pity the frontline manager 49:07

5M ago49:07

49:07

Frontline managers have to support decisions they didn't make, translate organizational goals into actions, identify meaningful opportunities for people to develop, remember to acknowledge successes, regulate their emotions, and resolve team conflicts. And they're usually 19-years-old. This week on The Mindtools L&D Podcast, one of our favourite gu…

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84. Selling Is Your Ticket To Joy and Freedom with Jade Jemma 41:22

5M ago41:22

41:22

What if I told you the skill you've been avoiding could be your ticket to complete freedom? I sit down and chat with one of my previous mentors, Jade Jemma, as she drops some serious truth bombs about selling. While many people find sales awkward, Jade's been quietly working her magic behind the scenes with seven-figure entrepreneurs. "If you can s…

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451 — Upskilling your managers on AI tools 42:32

5M ago42:32

42:32

Exciting news at Mindtools Towers this week, as we launch our first 'Expert Skill Bite' course with Dr Markus Bernhardt, available now to all Mindtools Content Hub users! To share more about what the course covers, and how it builds capability over time, Markus joined Ross G and Claire to discuss: Why a 'big top-down AI strategy' is never coming Ho…

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450 — AI and the Future of Content (Assemble You crossover episode) 36:20

6M ago36:20

36:20

This week, we're handing the reigns of The Mindtools L&D Podcast over to our friends at Assemble You. Including the show notes! In this excellent interview, Adam sits down with Ross Garner and Paul Buller of Mindtools to explore one of the most pressing topics in L&D today: the role of AI in content creation and the future of learning. Ross is Chie…

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Couples Therapy 47:08

6M ago47:08

47:08

Today Jo North talks with Dr Sara Riley who is both a medical practitioner and a relationships therapist. Together they unpick the complexity of relationships in order to help the listener understand what they might expect in relationship counselling with the overall goal of a thriving relationship in which both parties can live their best lives to…

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449 — Performance support is back, baby! (Assemble You crossover episode) 40:34

6M ago40:34

40:34

Remember 'performance support'? Amid all the talk of AI, adaptive learning, and skills, it's kind of been forgotten. But not by us! Or by respondents to Don Taylor's Global Sentiment Survey, who ranked it 11th hottest trend this year (up two from last year). In the first of a two-part series of crossover episodes with our partner Assemble You, Ross…

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83. Your Relationship With Joy Is Controlling Your Potential 10:50

6M ago10:50

10:50

We've got joy completely backwards. Most of us treat it like a weekend privilege - something we earn after ticking all the boxes. But what if that's exactly what's keeping you stuck at 33% of your potential? In this episode, I'm calling out one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves: that we have to choose between achievement and enjoyment. As a hig…

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448 — Encouraging teams to adopt AI 35:43

6M ago35:43

35:43

Should we be adopting AI more into our day to day lives? How can L&D professionals move beyond reactive training on specific tools to cultivate a continuous learning mindset in team members? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Gemma and Dr Anna are joined by to Head of L&D at Newsquest Media Group, Mel Cooley to explore L&D's relat…

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447 — Hard science, soft skills: L&D in the space sector 43:52

6M ago43:52

43:52

Armed with a STEM qualification or two, you might think technical brilliance is all one needs to succeed in the space sector. Is this the case though? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Anna are joined by Victoria Craig to discuss: the importance of 'soft' skills in a 'hard' science environment; sector-specific skills g…

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Foodsane 37:53

7M ago37:53

37:53

In this episode of the Mind Kind podcast, delve into the world of food, eating, and weight loss with Dr. Joanna North. Drawing from her book "Foodsane" and personal experiences, Jo explores how our food choices impact us and offers solutions for issues like ultra-processed food addiction. She advocates for self-compassion, body connection, and Time…

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446 — Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro 35:44

6M ago35:44

35:44

Effective marketers have an uncanny way of knowing what we want and convincing us to click 'Like', add to Checkout and in under 20 seconds, buy their thing. Clever. Meanwhile, over in L&D, we find it more difficult to motivate someone to take action or change their behaviour. So, what does marketing do that we don't? In this week's episode of The M…

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445 — Setting up a L&D team 33:35

7M ago33:35

33:35

Having the opportunity to set up a new team can be both exciting and daunting. Where would you start when it's an L&D team? In this week's episode of The Mind Tools L&D Podcast, Head of People Development Daneille Ware speaks to Gemma and Ross about her approach to creating an L&D team from scratch. We discuss: · The triggers for creating a new or …

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Mindfulness 47:21

7M ago47:21

47:21

This Mink Kind podcast episode is all about mindfulness. Dr Joanna North talks to us about what mindfulness is, how it works and why it benefits us. She also offers a variety of simple and easy techniques for practising mindfulness in everyday life including talking the listener through a mindfulness exercise step-by-step so you can start work righ…

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444 — This game will make you a better collaborator 36:49

7M ago36:49

36:49

Collaboration is a vital skill across many fields and disciplines. But effective collaboration is about much more than just working together. In this week's episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Ross D and Paula are joined by Fraser Mcdonald, Head of Collaboration at Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) and Deputy Director of the Data for Children Col…

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82. Rediscovering Your Childlike Zest: Why Coming Home to Yourself Feels Epic! 13:44

7M ago13:44

13:44

Wow, what a journey! After spending the weekend at the Abraham Hicks workshop in Edinburgh (the ticket to which I manifested within just 12 hours - how mad is that?), I had this proper lightbulb moment standing by the Angel of the North. The whole experience felt like divine orchestration, like the Universe was giving me a huge sign that I was on t…

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443 — So, you've decided to be creative... 34:36

7M ago34:36

34:36

Whether it comes to facilitating workshops, designing learning experiences, or developing campaign assets, L&D practitioners are increasingly expected to bring creativity to their roles. But how do you do this if you don't have a creative background, or if you don't think of yourself as a 'creative person'? In this week's episode of The Mindtools L…