During the winter of 2012/2013 I spent a ridiculous amount of time in my basement either on the treadmill or on the bike trainer as I trained for triathlon that year. In preparation for the winter hours of indoor running and cycling I set up a 50″ SmartTV with a TED app on it directly in front of the treadmill and bike trainer. I watched dozens of hours of TED Talks and I can honestly say that changed my life. I was out on a run this morning talking with a friend about TED and promised I would put together a list of my favourite ones. Since I love sharing with you all so much I figured I would share with you and ask for your help in rounding out the list. Let me know what some of your faves are.
What is a TED Talk?
If you have not taken a few minutes to watch a TED talk I would highly recommend that you do so. TED is a non-profit organization devoted to the spread of ideas. Their tagline is “Ideas Worth Spreading”. They have a collection of ‘talks’, presentations of 18 minutes or less from some of the best minds in the world on a variety of different topics. You can visit the main TED website here at Ted.com
Some of My Favourites
Here is a list of a few of my favourites with a brief overview on what they are and why I liked them.
Brene Brown – The Power of Vulnerability
Brene is a researcher who studies shame, vulnerability, courage and authenticity. She talks about worthiness and is an incredible story teller. She has an absolute knack for taking complex ideas and concepts and distilling them down into easily understandable anecdotes. Her willingness to share herself in an incredibly authentic way makes a powerful connection with her audience. I have watched this one likely a dozen times.
Drew Dudley – Everyday Leadership
Drew is a gifted story teller and incredibly amusing presenter. He reminds us that leadership is not some giant colossal feat reserved for CEO’s and politicians. It is a gift all of us have to give on a daily basis. We had Drew come and speak at one of our Axiom Mortgage conferences and since then he has become a good friend. Take a few minutes and learn what it means to celebrate the lollipop moments in your life.
Derek Sivers – How to Start a Movement
In 3 minutes Derek dissects what it takes to create a movement. He discusses the importance of the first follower in any movement. His comedic, straight forward approach is entertaining and educational. This is an easy watch and contains some great lessons.
Ken Robinson – Do Schools Kill Creativity?
In this 19 minute talk Ken makes a compelling case for nurturing creativity in our school systems. I really enjoyed his style of delivery as well as the message. It is equally applicable in business where ‘mistakes’ are often ‘punished’ stifling the use of creativity.
Simon Sinek – How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Simon’s concept of “Start with Why” is an extremely simple concept that he outlines with his ‘Golden Circle’ framework. He dissects the success of Apple, Martin Luther King and the Wright Brothers to demonstrate how this works. This talk has become one of the most watched talks on the planet. “People don’t buy what you do, people buy why you do it.”
These are just a few of the talks that I really enjoyed. There are hundreds more that are excellent as well. I would encourage you to explore them. If you are committed to ongoing learning make a commitment to watch one per week and see how it changes your way of thinking.
Tell Me What You Love!
Let me know some of the talks you love so that I can add them to my playlist as well!
