As we collectively wind down 2019 and begin to consider how we desire our 2020 to begin we thought we would share our thoughts and takeaways about two of our favorite TED Talks. TED talks are a fantastic and endless source of inspiration and education for a multitude of areas for both personal and professional life. The speakers offer original perspectives and points of view on everything from mental health to how to survive your first year in business.
Did you know that TED stands for Technology Entertainment and Design? TED began in 1984 when compact disks were the preferred format because the world wide web wasn’t even in existence then. TED held its first conference in 1990. Those were its primary three focuses when it began. TED Talks launched in 2006 and nearly 15 years later thousands of varying subject matter gurus from all over the globe have shared their big ideas and golden nuggets with an ever growing and eager audience. TED Talks are highly informative, captivating and by far the shortest lecture you can watch to garner the most influence. They are no more than 20 minutes in length from start to finish. And you get gems of wisdom from the brightest minds for FREE and from the ease of your phone or computer.
One of the many things our team loves about TED Talks is that they actually teach you something, instead of just telling you about random things. We don’t know anyone who has consumed a TED Talk and did not feel in some manner enlightened at the end. Watching one can change your opinion about something, resonate with you emotionally, validate a concept you have been marinating or teach you a new way of approaching an issue.
The TED Talk we mention the most around here and often send to our clients for a listen is Simon Sinek’s “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”. Sinek’s TED Talk covers his simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a simple circle and the question “WHY?”
A great leader can speak to their WHY and infuse the same curiosity and inspiration into those they lead. Sinek’s philosophy around the discussion of WHY people (and businesses) do what they do, not WHAT or HOW they do it, was the launching pad for Re-Tool’s niche positioning focus. Everyone needs to lead with their WHY as it’s the nucleus of a brand, a story and subsequently a narrative. And the reality is, the answer to the question WHY? is the reason people relate to you (or buy what you are offering).
Very few of our clients can explain WHY it is they do what they do, what value (not profit or revenue) they desire to be known for, or WHY more as a purpose, cause or belief. WHY should anyone care about what you are saying (or selling)?
Re-Tool’s WHY or purple cow as Sinek calls it is that “we end the fear of originality”. We get to the heart of “what would be missed if you (or your business) didn’t exist. We dig deep using a unique stepwise strategy that aligns a product, process, people and a market in such a way that your demographic can’t help but sit up and take notice.
Another one of our fav inspirational TED Talks is Brene Brown’s “The Power of Vulnerability”. It goes without saying that all of us collectively struggle at times (or oftentimes) with letting ourselves be vulnerable. And yet doing exactly that allows us to grow as human beings.
In a mere 20 minutes, Brown speaks to how being vulnerable is at the core of, well, almost anything as it relates to relationships with others and ourselves. She explains how it takes a great deal of courage to let go and show up authentically with no/little filter clouding the lens. Brown shares that experiencing emotions is a wonderful and necessary thing and how in doing so we can accept who we really are.
She says “what [makes us] vulnerable [makes us] beautiful”. That in not being vulnerable, we cannot fulfill our boundless potential. We remain stunted if we choose to numb or negate what is real within us. And by not opening ourselves up to being vulnerable, we simply don’t (or can’t) function as we should or could. There isn’t much more to be said, just watch it if you haven’t.
So if you are in need of a sprinkle (or a shake) of inspiration or motivation no matter the topic, check out our fav TED Talks or the thousands of others free and easily accessed with just a few clicks on your computer or phone. We should all aspire to continually become a better version of ourselves.
