Articles / Management Training on YouTube: Best Channels and Videos for Leaders
Development, Training & CoachingDiscover the best YouTube channels for management training. From Simon Sinek to project management experts, find free leadership development resources.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Wed 31st December 2025
Management training on YouTube offers unprecedented access to world-class leadership thinking—from Simon Sinek's talks viewed over 100 million times to specialist channels covering project management, emotional intelligence, and team leadership—providing free professional development that supplements formal qualifications with diverse perspectives and practical insights. Understanding which channels deliver genuine value helps you build a curated learning library that supports continuous development.
The democratisation of management education through video platforms has transformed how leaders learn. Where previous generations relied solely on expensive courses or limited book availability, today's managers can access insights from bestselling authors, executive coaches, and industry practitioners at no cost. The challenge shifts from finding content to filtering the overwhelming volume for quality and relevance.
This guide examines the best YouTube channels and videos for management training, helping you navigate the platform's resources effectively and integrate video learning into your development practice.
Several channels stand out for leadership and management development.
Simon Sinek
Perhaps the most influential leadership voice on YouTube, Simon Sinek's content has reached over 100 million viewers. His 2009 TED Talk "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" became the third most-watched talk on TED.com, introducing the Golden Circle concept that transformed how people think about purpose-driven leadership.
Key Content
Why Watch: Sinek combines accessible delivery with profound insights about what motivates people and what distinguishes great leaders from merely competent ones.
Tony Robbins
A globally recognised expert in personal development and leadership, Tony Robbins' channel delivers a mix of motivational, financial, and business advice. His energetic style and decades of corporate consulting experience make his content particularly engaging for those seeking both inspiration and practical strategies.
Key Content
Robin Sharma
With years of bestselling books and corporate advising experience, Robin Sharma promotes self-help advice in a business context. His personable, experience-driven style has earned him over 190,000 subscribers, creating content that resonates with business professionals seeking personal growth alongside leadership development.
Key Content
Marie Forleo
Delivering timely work and life advice with an open and authentic style, Marie Forleo covers topics from finding inner strength to marketing strategies to managing workplace overwhelm. Her approachable delivery makes complex concepts accessible to managers at all levels.
The Science of People
Hosted by Vanessa Van Edwards, this channel provides research-backed content on management skills, body language, conversation skills, social intelligence, public speaking, and emotional intelligence. The scientific approach distinguishes this channel from purely opinion-based content.
Key Topics
| Area | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Body language | Reading and projecting nonverbal communication |
| Conversation | Starting, maintaining, and deepening dialogue |
| Public speaking | Presentation and influence techniques |
| Emotional intelligence | Understanding and managing emotions |
| Social skills | Building rapport and professional relationships |
Leadership MOJO
Run by Andy Whitehead (MSC MBA), a Business Psychologist and Executive Coach, this channel posts weekly videos on management, leadership, mindset, and motivation. With over 30 years of senior leadership experience and hundreds of international coaching assignments, Whitehead aims to help viewers become the best leaders they can be.
Key Strengths
Project management-specific channels serve those managing initiatives and teams.
The world's leading association for project, program, and portfolio management professionals maintains a comprehensive YouTube channel with diverse content including problem-solving sessions, interviews, panel discussions, and certification information.
Content Types
Dr. Mike Clayton, a trainer and author in project management, runs one of the best YouTube channels for project managers. As founder and CEO of Online PM Courses, Clayton delivers educational content with academic rigour and practical applicability.
Key Strengths
A productivity expert and project management professional with over 20 years in the business, Adriana Girdler's channel serves as a go-to resource for project managers with over 150 videos teaching different aspects of project management.
Content Focus
TED Talks provide concentrated insights from leading thinkers.
"How Great Leaders Inspire Action"
Sinek's foundational talk introduces the Golden Circle—the idea that successful leaders and organisations start with WHY they do what they do, rather than what they do or how they do it. This framework has influenced leadership thinking globally since its 2009 debut at TEDxPugetSound.
Core Insight: People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. Leaders who communicate purpose before process inspire deeper commitment.
"Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe"
This talk explores how great leaders create environments of trust and psychological safety. Sinek argues that when employees feel secure and protected, they naturally trust and collaborate more, fostering productive work environments.
Core Insight: Leadership means taking responsibility for the people in your charge, not the results. Results come from people who feel safe.
TED maintains a curated playlist titled "How to be a great leader" featuring talks addressing various leadership dimensions:
Brené Brown's research on vulnerability, courage, and leadership provides essential viewing for managers seeking to build authentic connections with their teams. Her talks on embracing imperfection and the power of vulnerability have reshaped how many leaders approach authenticity.
Maximising value from video learning requires intentional approach.
Build a Structured Curriculum
Rather than passive browsing, create intentional learning pathways:
Quality Filters
Not all YouTube content merits attention. Apply critical evaluation:
Beyond Passive Watching
Transform viewing into learning through active engagement:
| Technique | Application |
|---|---|
| Note-taking | Capture key concepts and personal insights |
| Summarising | Write brief summaries after each video |
| Discussion | Share insights with colleagues |
| Application | Immediately try techniques in your work |
| Teaching | Explain concepts to others to deepen understanding |
Spaced Repetition
Return to valuable content periodically. Single viewings rarely produce lasting change. Revisiting important videos at intervals—one week, one month, three months—reinforces learning.
Complementary Approach
YouTube works best as supplement rather than replacement for structured development:
Newly promoted managers benefit from foundational content.
Essential Topics for New Managers
Leadership MOJO
Particularly valuable for new managers given Andy Whitehead's focus on practical leadership fundamentals drawn from extensive coaching experience.
The Science of People
Vanessa Van Edwards' content on communication, body language, and emotional intelligence addresses skills new managers often find challenging—the interpersonal dimensions that formal training frequently overlooks.
Marie Forleo
Her accessible style and focus on practical work challenges resonates with managers navigating early career transitions.
Suggested Learning Sequence
Role-specific channels serve particular management disciplines.
Product School
The global leader in product training with a community of over two million product professionals. Instructors include product leaders from Google, Meta, Netflix, Airbnb, Uber, and Amazon, providing insider perspectives on world-class product management.
Mind the Product
One of the world's biggest product communities, featuring episodes from leading product minds examining essential aspects of product management.
Engineering managers benefit from channels bridging technical and leadership domains:
Regardless of specialisation, core management principles apply:
Cross-functional viewing broadens perspective—product managers learn from project management channels; engineering managers benefit from general leadership content.
Understanding platform strengths helps maximise value.
Accessibility
Diversity
Efficiency
Quality Variation
Passive Consumption Risk
Incomplete Development
Maximise YouTube's benefits whilst mitigating limitations:
Leading management training channels include Simon Sinek for leadership philosophy (over 100 million views), The Science of People for interpersonal skills, Leadership MOJO for practical weekly management content, and Project Management Institute for project leadership. Tony Robbins, Robin Sharma, and Marie Forleo provide broader personal development content applicable to management. Channel selection should match your specific development needs and preferred learning style.
YouTube complements but cannot fully replace formal management training. Video content excels at introducing concepts, providing diverse perspectives, and reinforcing learning. However, formal programmes offer structured curricula, assessment and feedback, recognised credentials, peer learning, and accountability—elements difficult to replicate through self-directed video consumption. Optimal development combines YouTube's accessibility with formal programme rigour.
Essential Simon Sinek viewing includes his TED Talks "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" (introducing the Golden Circle framework) and "Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe" (on creating trust). His channel features content on "Start With Why," "Leaders Eat Last," and "The Infinite Game" concepts. Sinek's accessible delivery makes complex leadership philosophy practically applicable for managers at all levels.
Quality trumps quantity for YouTube learning. Fifteen to thirty minutes of focused, purposeful viewing with note-taking and application planning exceeds hours of passive browsing. Schedule regular learning blocks—perhaps 20 minutes twice weekly—rather than sporadic marathon sessions. The goal is consistent, intentional learning integrated with workplace application, not content consumption for its own sake.
New managers benefit from Leadership MOJO's practical weekly content, The Science of People's interpersonal skill development, and Simon Sinek's foundational leadership philosophy. Channels addressing communication, feedback, delegation, and team building prove most valuable during the individual contributor-to-manager transition. Create playlists organised by skill area and progress systematically rather than random viewing.
Project Management Institute (PMI) offers comprehensive content from the leading professional body. Mike Clayton's OnlinePMCourses provides educational content with academic rigour. Adriana Girdler delivers practical project management guidance across over 150 videos. These channels cover methodology, tools, certification preparation, and practical application for project managers at various experience levels.
Evaluate channels and videos by creator credentials, evidence basis, engagement metrics, and practical applicability. Prioritise content from recognised experts with relevant experience—bestselling authors, certified coaches, or practitioners with demonstrated track records. Watch initial videos critically before subscribing. High view counts combined with substantive comments often indicate value. Avoid clickbait titles promising transformation without substance.
YouTube's management training resources offer remarkable value for those who approach them intentionally. The platform provides access to insights previously available only through expensive conferences, executive education, or chance encounters with exceptional leaders.
The challenge is not finding content but filtering for quality and maintaining active rather than passive engagement. Create structured learning pathways, apply insights immediately, and integrate video learning with formal development rather than substituting one for the other.
Simon Sinek's observation that people follow leaders who inspire them applies equally to learning: you'll engage most deeply with content that resonates with your specific challenges and aspirations. Experiment with different channels and presenters until you find voices that combine credibility with connection.
The most effective managers treat learning as ongoing practice rather than episodic event. YouTube supports this approach through always-available content that can be consumed in small doses and revisited as needed. Whether you have fifteen minutes between meetings or an hour during a commute, quality management content awaits.
Your development depends not on the volume of content consumed but on the insights extracted and applied. One powerful idea implemented well outweighs dozens of videos watched passively. Approach YouTube as a tool for development rather than entertainment, and you'll find it offers genuine value for your management journey.
The great leaders of tomorrow are learning today—and increasingly, part of that learning happens on YouTube.