Start Monday Morning Right: 5 Motivational TED Talks for Business Leaders

January 11, 2016
Business, Entrepreneur
2 min read

Positive energy, purpose, and persistence are key to succeeding in a business. This Monday morning, we hope to inspire you to channel you inner leadership qualities through these 5 TED Talks that we love. They offer practical suggestions in digestible segments. 

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Amy Cuddy: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

This is one of the most famous TED Talks of all time, perhaps because the premise is so simple: your physical actions can shape your mental attitude. We won’t give away too much, but Amy Cuddy shows how 2-minute “power poses” can actually build one’s inner confidence and outside perceptions. It’s not too late to master a whole new language: body language.

Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Simon Sinek argues that a common thread among great leaders and companies is that they think in a way opposite to everyone else: rather than start with what they do and how they do it, they answer why they do what they do. In other words, they have a purpose – a set of values that defines why their organization exists, and their purpose drives them. Sinek point to a diverse array of public figures, such as MLK, the Wright Brothers, and Steve Jobs to build his case.

Harish Manwani: Profit’s Not Always The Point

Harish Manwani highlights some of the flaws in a purely capitalistic model. Beyond focusing on “3 Gs”  of growth: consistency, competitiveness, and profitability, Manwani advocates for a “4th G” – responsibility. Companies that will thrive in the future will create both economic value and social value. They will give back to the communities that sustain them. A former leader at Unilever, he found ways to make an impact – for example by starting a hygienic hand-washing public health program alongside the business of selling soap, and my committing to purchasing palm oil from sustainable sources.

Bill Gross: The Single Biggest Reason Why Startups Succeed

We’ve all heard the statistics – that half of startups tend to fail. So what unites the ones that are successful? Bill Gross founded Idealab, which has launched over 100 companies, successes and failures. By analyzing data about various companies, Gross scientifically assesses various factors that may affect success – such as timing, funding, the idea, the team, the plan. He draws on AirBnb, Uber, and others as examples. Watch to find out which factor is the most promising!

Eddie Obeng: Smart Failure for a Fast Changing World

Eddie Obeng has a very energetic, compelling stage presence! He discusses how our world is accelerating exponentially (largely because of technology, the growth of cities, an exploding population, and so forth). Obeng argues that to keep up with the pace, we have to become comfortable with and embrace work settings encourage “smart failures” – it’s the only way to learn and keep up with change.

 

 

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