What does it mean to lead in L&D?

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.

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
Michelle Ockers – LinkedIn