Talent Development Leader

What sits between a company's strategy and the skills of its workforce? According to Ben Satchwell, Head of Capabilities at Acorn PLMS, the answer is capability. In this episode of  Talent Development Leader podcast, Ben breaks down the layered relationship between skills, competencies, capabilities, job design, and performance. He explains why many competency frameworks become shelfware, and offe...

A clear personal vision can be the difference between reacting to life and intentionally leading it. In this episode of ATD's Talent Development Leader podcast, Kimberly Currier, global talent and leadership development executive, explores why personal vision is a foundational leadership capability. She shares how such a purpose can guide decisions, build resilience, and help leaders stay grounded...

When budgets shrink, talent development leaders must do more than defend their programs—they must demonstrate their value through communication and influence. In this episode of the Talent Development Leader podcast, Amii Barnard-Bahn, former Fortune 5 executive and top leadership coach, breaks down a strategic communication model for elevating TD's role in the business. Learn how to communicate w...

The role of the Chief Learning Officer is at an inflection point. In this episode of Talent Development Leader podcast, Tracie Cantu, Chief Learning Strategist at Your CLO and author of Running L&D Like a Business, breaks down how and why the CLO role has evolved beyond managing training and into enabling enterprise performance. Listen and learn what's keeping L&D stuck in reactive modes, where CL...

AI is transforming work—but not in the ways many leaders fear. In this episode of Talent Development Leader podcast, Patrick D. Lynch, 2026 Thinkers50 Radar thought leader, AI Faculty Lead at Hult International Business School, and one of the world's leading voices on human‑AI collaboration, explores why the future of work is less about job loss and more about job transformation. Patrick brings a...

Storytelling isn't a soft skill—it's a serious leadership advantage. In this episode of Talent Development Leader podcast, Julie Lancaster, CEO of Lancaster Leadership and author of Beyond Words: How Our Stories & Strategies Inspire Action , shares why storytelling is the missing link between great ideas and real impact. She explains what reseach says about storytelling and influence, the ingredie...

In this episode of Talent Development Leader podcast, Tina Robinson, executive coach and author of the ATD Press book, Developing Your Business Leaders , explains why many TD leaders get stuck reacting to requests instead of driving the business forward, and how to break the cycle. Tina shares the common pitfalls talent professionals face, how to build credibility with executives, and why defining...

As organizations move beyond high-potential-only development models, AI coaching is emerging as a powerful enabler of personalized growth at scale. In this episode of  Talent Development Leader podcast, Kirsten Moorefield, cofounder of Cloverleaf, describes how AI coaching is leveling the playing field for people development. Learn what to look for and watch out for when it comes to AI coaching to...

What if the most powerful learning initiative isn't a program, but the way work itself is designed? In this episode of  Talent Development Leader podcast, Sam Murray, Founder and CEO of AlignedCX, challenges traditional approaches to learning and enablement and makes the case for merging work and learning to drive real business outcomes. She describes how TD leaders can identify high-value work, d...

Human sustainability is no longer a "nice to have"—it's a strategic imperative. In this episode of Talent Development Leader podcast, Allyson McElwain, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and Director of Development, Learning, and Engagement at TELUS, describes what it means to create workplaces where employees leave better off than when they arrived. Topics include reimagining employee engageme...

As AI, reskilling, and shifting workforce expectations reshape organizations, talent development leaders face the unique challenge of balancing innovation with the enduring fundamentals of how people learn. In this episode of Talent Development Leader podcast, bestselling author, facilitator, and former learning executive Jonathan Halls suggests there is a dual mindset required of today's TD leade...

C-suite leadership is changing as talent development leaders are gaining expanded responsibilities across learning, succession planning, engagement, and more. Many leaders are expected to be experts in talent development, pros at creating vision and strategy, and adept at AI—all while overseeing initiatives for the entire employee lifecycle. In other words, they're expected to be and do the imposs...

In this episode of Talent Development Leader podcast, Ryan Gottfredson—bestselling author, professor, and expert in leadership development—describes what it truly means to become better . Drawing from his latest book, Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation , Ryan shares why most leadership development is only incrementally helpful and how leaders can shift to transf...

With an overwhelming abundance of skilling content and the rise of AI in talent development, what does effective employee support look like today—and what should organizations focus on? In this episode of the  Talent Development Leader podcast, Lindsay Witcher, Global Leader at Randstad RiseSmart, discusses the evolving landscape of career development and the increasingly critical role of talent a...

In this episode of the Talent Development Leader podcast, explore the power and pitfalls of performance feedback with renowned organizational psychologists Dr. Sandra Mashihi and Dr. Ken Nowack. With decades of experience in leadership development, coaching, and behavioral science, Sandra and Ken explore how feedback can fuel employee engagement, organizational culture, and business performance—wh...

Don't miss Amy on the main stage at ATD25. Register now to join us in D.C.: https://www.td.org/pre-checkout/atd25   In this special bonus  episode of the Talent Development Leader podcast, we're joined by renowned Harvard Business School professor and bestselling author, Amy C. Edmondson —the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management and a keynote speaker at ATD25 in Washington, D.C. this Ma...

In a world of constant disruption and rapid change, how can leaders and organizations build resilience, adaptability, and success? In this episode of ATD's Talent Development Leader, Karen Hough, Founder & CEO of ImprovEdge, explores the intersection of improvisation, neuroscience, and business strategy to help talent development leaders thrive through uncertainty. Uncover practical strategies for...

In today's world of work, leadership demands more than just vision—it requires courage. In this episode of ATD's Talent Development Leader podcast, Angela Cheng-Cimini, an accomplished HR leader with three decades of experience across industries, and currently the fractional Head of HR for The Chronicle of Philanthropy , describes the concept of organizational courage. Angela explains what courage...

In this episode of ATD's  Talent Development Leader podcast, Julio Zelaya, an Amazon bestselling author, EdTech innovator, and business transformation leader, describes the evolving role of AI in education, the latest trends in learning technologies, and strategies for talent development leaders to scale personalized learning in today's dynamic workforce. Julio shares insights from his research at...

In this episode of ATD's Talent Development Leader podcast, Amii Barnard-Bahn, a former Fortune 5 executive and CHRO, and a consultant and coach to the C-Suite, talks about imposter phenomenon. She explains the history of imposter phenomenon and describes a helpful tool to diagnose it. Learn what it feels like to experience imposter phenomenon and how to distinguish it from low self-esteem or low-...

In this episode of ATD's Talent Development Leader podcast, Lou Tedrick, Vice President of Global Learning & Development at Verizon, explains how she has seen the learning & development and talent leadership roles evolve over her career, and what she predicts for the future of the profession. She describes lessons learned and insights gained as she embarks on a new chapter in her career. And she o...

The Global Curiosity Institute's purpose is to empower individuals, organizations, and society to unlock their full potential through a relentless pursuit of learning, discovery, and innovation. In this episode of ATD's Talent Development Leader podcast, two Global Curiosity Institute fellows, Stefaan van Hooydonk and Hilary Lichterman, unpack the concept of curiosity and its connection to learnin...

In this episode of ATD's  Talent Development Leader podcast, Charlie Gilkey, bestselling author and founder of Productive Flourishing, unveils 8 habits for ultimate team effectiveness. He addresses critical topics like belonging and well-being, change management, and organizational transformation—and explains how healthy team dynamics are critical for all. Learn how to lead your team toward greate...

In this episode of ATD's  Talent Development Leader podcast, Victoria Trammel, facilitator, and leadership consultant with Arbinger Institute, addresses the leadership imperative around employee disengagement, and the critical role leaders play in engaging their people. She describes when self-deception shows up for many leaders and how self-awareness can be the antidote. Learn practical strategie...

In this episode of ATD's Talent Development Leader podcast, Kimo Kippen, speaker and advocate for learning, and a former executive at Hilton and Marriott, shares his love for the talent development field and his personal vision and mission as a leader and lifelong learner. He also describes a variety of emerging research and trends affecting the TD profession, and offers his perspective on how lea...