TED Talks to inspire

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25.06.20
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A key theme we’re hearing from our clients is a drop in team morale. This is very much to be expected during prolonged periods of turmoil. So, if you’re finding it tricky to motivate yourself and your teams, here are the TED Talks that I come back to, time and time again when I’m looking for inspiration.

If they are new to you, delve in and enjoy. If they are already familiar, I encourage you to take another look, they are a good reminder of what’s important, and you never know, you may even find something new.

Living your Legend – Scott Dinsmore

Scott Dinsmore was in a job that made him miserable. So he quit and spent the next four years working out what it was that would give him meaning and joy. In this talk, Scott shares his story, how he discovered what truly matters and the three steps to living our own personal legends. It all starts with recognising what we wake up loving to do (irrespective of whether we are paid or not) and understanding our own unique strengths.

Tragically, Scott died in an accident on the slopes of Kilimanjaro in 2018, but his work lives on through the Live Your Legend global community with over 65,000 members. Their mission is to live their days with meaning and purpose.

Everyday Leadership – Drew Dudley

How many of us are comfortable calling ourselves a leader? Over time, we’ve built leadership up into something that can feel unattainable to us at an everyday level. Drew Dudley challenges this thinking and encourages us to recognise the impact of simple, small acts of everyday leadership on the lives of those around us.

The power of vulnerability – Brené Brown

Brené Brown is a brilliant storyteller and shares some of her work on human connection.  My own personal favourite take from this talk is that people who feel a strong sense of love and belonging, are people who feel they are worthy of love and belonging. Those that don’t feel worthy, don’t feel the same love and belonging, and ultimately the same level of human connections.

Embracing otherness, embracing myself – Thandie Newton

Thandie Newton shares the story of her upbringing in the 70s and her struggle with her notion of self over the years. She talks about how infants feel oneness with the world, they don’t recognise that they are separate beings. She talks to us about feeling that ultimate connection with the world as adults and how she finds those moments through acting and dancing. These are the moments when we connect fully with our own selves, we find our essence and appreciate the privilege of life.

Do schools kill creativity – Sir Ken Robinson

Sir Ken Robinson recognises that all children have tremendous talents and we ‘squander them ruthlessly’. We should treat education with the same importance as we do literacy. We need to encourage children to be wrong in order to let them be original and creative and make sure that we don’t educate the creativity out of them as they grow up

The power of introverts – Susan Cain

Susan Cain, the author of ‘Quiet The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking’ begins this talk by sharing her story of going to camp as a young girl. She felt that her quiet and introverted style of being didn’t feel like the right way to be in a world where society values being social and outgoing above all else. In this talk, she guides us through the value of embracing the skills that introverts bring to the world.

What do these videos have in common? They are all about being your best authentic self. Don’t we all want that?

If you need further support and guidance as a leadership team navigating your team during this time, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Jacqueline Shakespeare
Written by Jacqueline Shakespeare
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