Every morning we have before us a new opportunity, a blank canvas that we can paint the way we choose. We are in total control of what we want to accomplish each day. Here are some famous Ted Talks that will help you make the most of each day during these last months in college and also give an insight of the corporate life that you are about to step into:
1. Got a meeting? Take a walk – Nilofer Merchant
Nilofer Merchant suggests a small idea that just might have a big impact on your life and health: Next time you have a one-on-one meeting, make it into a “walking meeting” — and let ideas flow while you walk and talk.
Business innovator Nilofer Merchant thinks deeply about the frameworks, strategies and cultural values of companies.
2. The happy secret to better work– Shawn Achor
Shawn Achor is the CEO of Good Think Inc., where he researches and teaches about positive psychology.
3. Forget the pecking order at work– Margaret Heffernan
Organisations are often run according to “the super chicken model,” where the value is placed on star employees who outperform others. And yet, this isn’t what drives the most high-achieving teams. Business leader Margaret Heffernan observes that it is social cohesion — built every coffee break, every time one team member asks another for help — that leads over time to great results. It’s a radical rethink of what drives us to do our best work, and what it means to be a leader. Because as Heffernan points out: “Companies don’t have ideas. Only people do.”
The former CEO of five businesses, Margaret Heffernan explores the all-too-human thought patterns — like conflict avoidance and selective blindness — that lead organisations and managers astray.
4. What it takes to be a great leader– Roselinde Torres
The world is full of leadership programs, but the best way to learn how to lead might be right under your nose. In this clear, candid talk, Roselinde Torres describes 25 years observing truly great leaders at work, and shares the three simple but crucial questions would-be company chiefs need to ask to thrive in the future.
BCG’s Roselinde Torres studies what makes great leaders tick — and figures out how to teach others the same skills.
5. As work gets more complex, 6 rules to simplify– Yves Morieux
Why do people feel so miserable and disengaged at work? Because today’s businesses are increasingly and dizzyingly complex — and traditional pillars of management are obsolete, says Yves Morieux. So, he says, it falls to individual employees to navigate the rabbit’s warren of interdependencies. In this energetic talk, Morieux offers six rules for “smart simplicity.” (Rule One: Understand what your colleagues actually do.)
BCG’s Yves Morieux researches how corporations can adapt to a modern and complex business landscape.
6. Dare to disagree– Margaret Heffernan
Most people instinctively avoid conflict, but as Margaret Heffernan shows us, good disagreement is central to progress. She illustrates (sometimes counterintuitively) how the best partners aren’t echo chambers — and how great research teams, relationships and businesses allow people to deeply disagree.
The former CEO of five businesses, Margaret Heffernan explores the all-too-human thought patterns — like conflict avoidance and selective blindness — that lead organisations and managers astray.
Want to share your favourite Ted Talk? Comment and let us know.
