The best podcasts to hear effective interviewers drawing out insights from diverse guests

I like to combine my natural curiosity about a variety of topics, along with dedicated preparation, to refine my own interview skills and lead interviewees toward new insights and new ways of articulating their established ideas. This has more than a few similarities to my approach to performance and leadership coaching, in which I am to stay fully present and in the moment, in order to ask the right questions that lead individuals to previously unexplored insights. To sharpen my own skills, I will listen back and critique my own interviews, but also I love to listen to interviewers that I consider masters of their craft. Like most people, I look at the guest on an episode as part of my decision about whether to listen, but even more importantly I want to listen to an interesting guest interviewed by someone whose interviewing skills I hold in high regard. This will lead to the best conversation. I'm interested in a great number of topics, especially social sciences, culture, creativity and innovation, leadership, education, and sports. In my own learning, I prefer to hear from diverse sources and those whose ideas aren't strictly "on the nose" -- in other words, those who apply their ideas in fields different from mine -- which I believe gives the opportunity to more creatively consider those ideas and how I might apply them to my own work or life. These interests, in combination with my passion for high-quality, equitable, and accessible education for all, drive my work in building the BE Podcast Network. Currently we have 40+ shows covering all different verticals within education, and we have the goal of truly transforming educational practice and learning, to make a difference for the greatest number possible. An emphasis on compelling, excellent content is necessary to achieve this, and we continue to work toward that aim. As described above, I prefer to get my learning from a wide variety of experts and sources with diverse perspectives and expertise, and I believe they share the best insights when in conversation with a skilled interviewer. This list is designed to give listeners access to such conversations. I also admire these interviewers and use their examples in sharpening my own approach.

My podcast, The Authority, is very much inspired by those I've listed here. At its core it is designed for leaders in the education field, but we bring together perspectives from all different fields and angles to provide the best variety of strategies and ideas. On The Authority, I interview authors about their latest books. I call it "Interviews with people who know what they're talking about." My guests have represented a wide spectrum. Just some to note: Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, Chuck E. Cheese, and many more companies who is considered the father of electronic gaming and one of the founding fathers of Silicon Valley; David Fleming, one of the best long-form writers at ESPN and other publications in recent decades; Maria Brito, a COMPLEX Top 20 Art Influencer; Mark Miller and Dee Ann Turner, both former top executives at Chick-Fil-A and bestselling authors (including Mark's books on the Wall Street Journal list); Erik Huberman, founder of $150M marketing agency Hawke Media; Andrea Mein DeWitt, whose book was named Top Motivational Read by NBC's Today Show; and some of the most accomplished and influential names within K-12 education, including Michael Fullan, Carol Ann Tomlinson, Baruti Kafele, Peter DeWitt, and many more. The conversations cover leadership, personal development, culture, teaching and learning, parenting, creativity, and so much more.

On each of these shows, you will hear amazing, diverse guests in conversation with truly skilled interviewers. You'll learn new things while also being entertained.