Voices of the Learning Network
Get ready for "Voices of the Learning Network", from The Learning Network! Tune in to hear straight from our members, and industry partners, and keep up with what happening in the Network and the wider Learning and Development industry!
Voices of the Learning Network is the official podcast of The Learning Network. We are a Community Interest Company (CIC) and exist solely to support you as a learning professional – so whether you are a seasoned professional or have just entered the field, the Learning Network exists to help you no matter what stage of your career you’re in.
We like to think we have something for everyone – our community includes instructional designers, trainers, developers, technologists, consultants, strategists, freelancers and industry leaders.
Voices of the Learning Network
The L&D Confidence Gap: What High-Performing Teams Do Differently
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What if the biggest challenge facing Learning and Development isn't technology, budget, or stakeholder buy-in - but confidence?
In this episode of Voices of The Learning Network, host Bill Banham sits down with learning industry researcher, analyst, and Learning Changemakers founder Laura Overton to explore why so many talented L&D professionals struggle to lead with influence despite delivering exceptional work.
Laura shares insights gathered from years of researching high-performing learning teams and reveals the common behaviors that separate the most impactful functions from the rest. Rather than focusing solely on content creation and program delivery, successful teams position themselves as strategic enablers of performance, capability, and organizational readiness.
The conversation explores why traditional approaches to measuring learning value can unintentionally limit L&D's influence, how learning leaders can shift stakeholder conversations toward business outcomes, and why adaptability has become one of the most critical capabilities in today's workplace.
Bill and Laura also examine how organizations can navigate continuous disruption, from the rise of the internet to today's AI and automation revolution. Along the way, Laura introduces her memorable "windmill versus umbrella" mindset—a practical framework for helping learning professionals embrace change rather than shelter from it.
Whether you're an instructional designer, learning leader, talent professional, or business partner, this episode offers practical ideas for increasing your impact and helping your organization become more adaptable in an increasingly uncertain world.
In this episode:
- Why leadership is about inspiring people to learn, grow, and adapt
- Understanding the confidence gap many L&D professionals experience
- What high-performing learning teams consistently do differently
- Moving beyond program delivery toward business enablement
- Equipping employees for today's performance and tomorrow's challenges
- Navigating complexity and change without losing strategic direction
- Using "tuning in" techniques to increase relevance and engagement
- Escaping the metrics trap of completions and satisfaction scores
- Breaking the cycle of reactive learning requests
- Lessons from previous waves of disruption and what AI means for L&D
- Why learning leaders should become windmills, not umbrellas
About Laura Overton
Laura Overton is one of the learning industry's most respected researchers, analysts, and thought leaders. As Founder of Learning Changemakers, she helps learning professionals build confidence, influence, and business impact. Through decades of research into high-performing L&D teams, Laura has become a leading voice on learning strategy, organizational capability, and workforce readiness.
Voices of the Learning Network is the Learning Network podcast connecting the learning and development community. https://thelearning-network.org/