If you’re in business management or just want to learn more
about business, there are many helpful business presentations online that you
can learn from. One of the best sources of educational, motivational, and
informational presentations for business professionals is Ted Talks. They are also a good resource to study if you’re trying to improve your speaking skills.
You may be wondering: what are Ted Talks?
Ted Talks
are
a series of short talks on a variety of topics that are free to listeners. They
are known for attracting excellent speakers with innovative ideas. Actual Ted Talks differ from regular business presentations because each speaker must give their presentation from memory and they are limited to 18 minutes.
These
short, online presentations include such business-relevant topics as
leadership, management, business strategy, and more. There are talks to inform,
talks to inspire, and talks to entertain.
In
this article, I’m sharing a collection of twelve of what I believe to be the
best Ted Talks for business leaders and other business professionals.
12
Best Business Ted Talks
Here’s
a carefully curated collection of what are, in my opinion, some of the best Ted Talks of all time for you to
learn from. For your convenience, I’ve separated the Ted Talks into four main
areas:
- Business leadership
- Informative
- Inspiring
- Business
Strategy
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Now,
let’s take a look at the Ted Talks for each area separately:
1. Business Ted Talks on Leadership
Leadership
is an important part of doing business. Here are some of the best Ted Talks on
leadership. Use these talks to improve your own leadership skills.
Simon
Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Simon Sinek started
out in advertising, but has since written several best-selling books on
leadership. In this Ted talk, Sinek explores why some companies and individuals
are successful and others are not.
In
the talk, Sinek explains how successful people and organizations are different
based on how they focus on the questions: what, how, and why. Hint: most people have the wrong focus
when they try to promote products or ideas. Learn about that difference in this
eye-opening talk.
Rosalinde
Torres: What It Takes to Be a Great Leader
This
business Ted Talk by Rosalinde Torres explains why companies are failing to
produce leaders. Torres is a senior partner & managing director at the Boston
Consulting Group who
has observed leaders in hundreds of corporate leaders and companies of all
types for over 25 years.
In this Ted Talk video, Torres
points out that the world is now more global, more digital, and more connected
than ever. As a result, traditional leadership development is no longer
effective. This Ted Talk explains what how develop leaders in today’s world and
identifies the questions you need to be asking as a business leader in the 21st
century.
David
Logan: Tribal Leadership
David Logan is
an author and teacher. Logan has spent over ten years studying tribes, which
are naturally occurring groups that occur anytime humans get together.
In
this Ted Talk, Logan discusses the concept of tribes and discusses their
importance in the business world and the world in general. Logan identifies the
five general types of tribes that form and explains how each tribe interacts
with society, including the workplace. This is a must-see talk for the
thoughtful leader who wants to understand and improve their workplace culture.
2.
Business Ted Talks That Inform
Knowledge
is power, or the so the saying goes. As a business professional, the saying is
certainly true. It’s important to be informed if you want to run a good
business.
Susan
Cain: The Power Of Introverts
As
a leader, are you overlooking introverts? According to Susan Cain, you
probably are. Cain is a speaker and the author of the popular book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World
That Can’t Stop Talking.
In
this Ted Talk, Cain explains what it’s like to be an introvert. Cain also
builds a compelling case for the contributions that introverts make–including
the contributions of many introverts who later became famous. The bottom line: if you’re overlooking
introverts, you’re missing out. Learn why in this informative talk.
Angela
Lee Duckworth: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Angela Duckworth teaches
psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Duckworth is also the Founder and
CEO of Character Lab, a non-profit dedicated to the science of character
development.
While
teaching school Duckworth made a shocking discovery that talent and IQ aren’t
the best predictors of success. Rather, success seems to be determined by a
character trait Duckworth calls “grit.” Learn more about what
“grit” is and the difference it makes in this fascinating talk.
Kelly
McGonigal: How to Make Stress Your Friend
If
you’re a business person, you’ve probably experienced stress. That’s a bad
thing, right? Not necessarily. Kelly McGonigal is
a psychologist who studies stress and how it affects us. McGonigal lectures at
Stanford University and has written several popular books about stress.
McGonigal’s
studies show that you can change the way you react to stress and the way it
affects your body and life. In this startling talk, you’ll learn the details
about some of the potential benefits of stress and how to combat the stress’s
harmful effects. This Ted Talk isn’t only for business leaders, but for anyone
who deals with stress on a regular basis.
3.
Business Ted Talks That Inspire
You
may not consider inspiration a part of doing business, but it is. A good
business professional needs to find their inspiration to be able inspire
others. Here are some Business Ted Talks to help you find your own inspiration.
Shawn
Achor: The Happy Secret to Better Work
Shawn Achor is
a speaker and author who studies happiness. Achor has written several books
including The Happiness Advantage. Achor’s
also founded GoodThink, Inc, an
organization dedicated to teaching about happiness.
This
Ted Talk video uses humor to illustrate the importance of happiness in the
workplace. Achor explores the outliers–people who are above average. By
studying outliers, Achor examines how happiness affects achievement-namely,
that optimism is an important factor in success. Do you have the right formula
for success? Find out in this Ted Talk.
Bel
Pesce: 5 Ways to Kill Your Dreams
Bel Pesce is
a Ted Fellow, an entrepreneur, and also an MIT graduate who formerly worked in
Silicon Valley. Pesce has since returned to Brazil and has been named one of
the “10 Most Admired Leaders in Brazil.”
In
this helpful Ted Talk presentation, Pesce tackles (and debunks) five common
success myths that may be holding you back. Whether you’re thinking of starting
a business or want to tackle a passion project, this talk can help you identify
faulty thinking and untrue perceptions that may be holding you back.
Matt
Cutts: Try Something New for 30 Days
Matt Cutts became
famous as the head of Google’s web spam team and as a member of the search
optimization team. Currently, Cutts is the acting administrator of the United States Digital Service–an organization that manages technology projects for the U.S.
government.
In this short inspirational Ted Talk, Cutts encourages
listeners to conduct a 30-day experiment of trying something new. Cutts also
shares personal experiences on the impact of completing a 30-day challenge,
which include improved confidence and energy. This talk will make you want to
start your own 30-day experiment–and it can make a real difference in your
life.
4.
Business Ted Talks on Strategy
Business
strategy refers to the way that you achieve your goals. In these talks, you’ll
learn some new techniques to help you improve your business strategy.
Linda
Hill: How to Manage for Collective Creativity
Linda Hill is a business professor at Harvard University and
the chair of the Leadership Initiative. Hill has written several popular books
and received several awards for innovation.
Creativity and innovation are important for any
business. In this engaging Ted Talk, Hill explains that the typical management
style doesn’t work if you want to encourage creativity and innovation in your
organization. The talk also points out that true innovation is the result of
teamwork and not individual genius. Learn how to encourage creativity in your own
organization with the techniques Hill shares here.
Seth
Godin: How to Get Your Ideas Spread
Seth Godin is
an award-winning blogger, entrepreneur, and popular author. Godin is perhaps
best known for this blog, which
is known for short but insightful posts on a wide variety of topics.
This
Ted Talk video explains why spreading ideas should be part of your winning business
strategy. According to Godin, those who successfully spread ideas are the ones
who can actually implement changes. Godin covers the effects mass media has had
on the spread of ideas, but goes on to explain that attempts to spread ideas
aren’t always successful. Mass marketing no longer works. In this Business Ted
Talk, learn what causes ideas to spread and how you can use the spread of ideas
for your own business marketing.
Susan
Colantuono: The Career Advice You Probably Didn’t Get
Susan
Colantuono founded and serves as CEO of Leading Women, a
consulting firm for companies who want to close the gender gap in business. Leading
Women has worked with dozens of organizations around the world to encourage
women’s leadership development.
In
this business Ted Talk, Colantuono tackles the tough question of why there are
so few women in upper management. The talk identifies three key elements that
companies look for in leaders and explains why women often don’t demonstrate
one of those key competencies–even though they may have that ability. If
you’re a woman in business or if your business wants to advance women, this Ted
Talk video is a must-watch.
Create
Your Own Professional Business Talk
Even if you don’t speak for Ted Talks chances are good that, as a business professional, you’ll need to give professional presentations. If you do need to give a professional presentation,
consider using a professional presentation template to give your presentation an extra
degree of professionalism.
You can find presentation templates on Envato Elements or on GraphicRiver. Or,
browse through these presentation roundups to find a presentation template that
appeals to you:
Presentations15+ Best Keynote Presentation TemplatesSean Hodge
PresentationsThe Best New Presentation Templates of 2017 (PowerPoint & More)Sean Hodge
You may also want to check out
our eBook on presentations: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations.
The presentations eBook is free when you subscribe to
our newsletter.
Conclusion
There are plenty of online resources for business
leaders, including many from Ted Talks. I’ve just shared some of the best Ted
Talks for your business. Now it’s time for you to use what you’ve learned. Or,
perhaps you’d like to share your own business knowledge by creating your own
professional presentation. Why not start today?
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