5 Best TED Talks For Career Success

By: Karin Eldor

Confession: If I didn’t have actual work to do, I could watch TED Talks all day long. I bookmark the ones I love and am always on the hunt for new ones that speak to me. (Hands up if you feel the same!) So it’s no surprise that I already listed 5 TED Talks for Career Development.

Why do TED Talks resonate so much? A post in Creative Live explains this perfectly: “Talks play into a cultural desire and possible need for inspiration.” And between the negativity on social media and the news lately, inspiration is welcome and appreciated.

Not to mention that the education we get from TED Talks is priceless. They offer us free access to the wisdom of top thought leaders, thereby giving us a sense of support, hope, and showing us that there’s a solution to every problem.

Now since we can all use a dose of *positive* inspiration these days, here are 5 TED Talks covering different tools for success, sure to offer you some renewed motivation.

• Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

The author of the book Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Sinek gained notoriety thanks to his 2009 TED Talk, How great leaders inspire action. And there’s a reason it’s among the 10 most popular TED Talks of all time.

Sinek will get you thinking about your company’s “why.” This is the driving force that informs your marketing plan, your social media strategy, and what you communicate to customers. Your “why” also becomes your brand’s added value and differentiating factor in a marketplace filled with competition. Once you know what that is — and it’s critical to take the time to figure it out — make sure it’s clearly communicated in everything you do. This quote says it all: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

Why it’s a must-see: Although Sinek is referring to your business’s “why” in his TED Talk, this philosophy can be applied to your own “why,” as a professional. So if you’re currently feeling unfulfilled or unsure about your current job or career path, getting a sense of your own “why” and purpose can help define your goals.

It’s also worth noting that Sinek recently gave a brilliant take on millennials in the workplace, which has gone viral -- he clearly has his finger on the pulse of today’s career landscape and his thoughts will get you thinking!

• Jason Fried: Why work doesn’t happen at work

Ever feel like although you just spent eight hours at work, you got nothing done? The struggle is real. Jason Fried focuses on this in his 2009 TED Talk -- and it makes a case for working remotely or heading to the office at 7am. Why? Because our most productive hours never occur in the office, between 9am and 5pm. So while you nod your head in agreement, consider why this is so: it’s because our Monday to Friday is currently made up of a handful of “work moments” rather than a “work day.” Due to constant interruptions from the M&Ms -- meetings and managers – we’re never given the opportunity to really think, dive into a thought, and problem solve effectively.

Why it’s a must-see: Constant interruptions are an epidemic in today’s workplace and they need to be stopped. So next time you get a meeting request during the time you have blocked off for actual work, just hit decline. This TED Talk will make you reconsider all the things you think you have to do and will give you the courage to simply say “no.”

Which leads us to…

• Shonda Rhimes: My year of saying yes to everything

The acclaimed writer and producer of hit shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal talks about how she lost her “hum,” which refers to her creative spirit and the magic she makes while in her zone. But as someone who was working all the time (she is, after all, responsible for 70 hours of television per season), Rhimes became zoned out. In this personal talk, the single mom shares how saying “yes” to everything she would have automatically said “no” to, brought her creative spirit back to life.

Why it’s a must-see: This TED Talk is also the focus of Rhimes’ book, Year of Yes. Although we often hear about the importance of saying “no” and making time for THE priorities in our lives, the powerhouse writer and producer reminds us that sometimes getting out of our comfort zones can actually be great for our career. If you’re about all work and no play, you can risk burning out. Making room for work-free playtime can have a positive impact on your workflow.

• Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are

In one of the most popular TED Talks of all-time, psychologist and author Amy Cuddy talks about the relationship between posture and power. You’ve surely heard of the “power pose”: the premise is that standing in a posture of confidence, even when we feel anything but, can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain (by increasing our testosterone levels to feel more assertive and reducing our cortisol levels to feel less stressed).

Why it’s a must-see: Next time you’re about to enter a situation in which you’re being evaluated, such as a presentation, job interview or pitch, take 2 minutes to “power pose” in private (go to a bathroom stall or try it while alone in an elevator). It will show you that you can indeed fake it till you make it, as you’ll be faking it till you become it. And this, friends, is a superpower.

• Tim Ferriss: Smash fear, learn anything

Bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss, talks about his long-time fear of swimming due to a bullying episode during his childhood. Years later, at the age of 31, Ferriss decided to learn how to swim on his own by breaking down swim stroke methods. He took the same approach to Japanese language lessons while on an exchange in Japan, and also learned how to tango in Argentina. Needless to say, Ferriss ends up mastering all these skills, by following his own method.

Why it’s a must-see: You might be afraid of public speaking, or going back to school to get a graduate degree. Just go for it. According to Ferriss, “Fear is your friend.” And the best results that come out of life are those that happen after you ask yourself, “What’s the worst that can happen?”

Improve your self

Whether you’re on a lunch break or on your daily commute on the train, make time to watch a TED Talk. I promise that you’ll learn more in those 20 minutes, than the 20 minutes you might have otherwise spent scrolling your Facebook feed.

I’d love to know: what are your favourite TED Talks? Sharing is caring!