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TED talks can be a great way to educate yourself on all areas of life, as well as to understand new points of view and ways of thinking. In particular, they can be very inspiring and influential for business owners and ProAdvisors and small business advisors.
If you run your own business or QuiciBooks ProAdvisor practice, don’t miss these five talks – they could revolutionize the way you run things.
No. 1 – Shawn Achor: The Happy Secret to Better Work
Shawn Achor is a psychologist, but he uses his knowledge of the mind to help us understand how to work better. His talk is very entertaining as he uses comedy to make his point, so if you have trouble concentrating on webinars, you will certainly appreciate the way he delivers his message. He says that the way your brain views the world helps to shape your reality, and that things may actually not be as bleak as they may seem from time to time. If you change the viewpoint, his thinking goes, then you change your level of happiness. Not only that, but by looking at things in a different way, you can make your business much more successful.
No. 2 – Drew Curtis: How I Beat a Patent Troll
Fark was only a company of eight people when it was sued by a patent troll, for allegedly creating and distributing news releases via email. They had not in fact infringed on the patent, and neither had the other companies named in the suit – names like Yahoo, Reddit, and AOL. But all of the other companies settled out of court, fearing the costs and the timescale involved in defending themselves. Curtis presents an example of how even a small company can stand up to a bully, and defeat a frivolous lawsuit that otherwise might have buried them. If you need inspiration to fight your own particular demons, this will give you it.
TED talks can be a great way to educate yourself on all areas of life, as well as to understand new points of view and ways of thinking.
No. 3 – Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts
Like most workplaces, yours is probably set up to cater for the extrovert. It is designed to allow stimulation, to create conversation, and to encourage co-working. This is a description of just about every office in a small, medium, or large company. But Susan Cain says, this is not helpful for introverts – who may form between a third and half of the population. Can you make your workforce more efficient and gave them a better working environment by changing that? You could seriously boost the most creative of your employees, allowing them to do their jobs better, which will make for a more productive business.
No. 4 – Amy Cuddy: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are
Body language is incredibly important in the world of business. If you don’t feel powerful enough in the workplace, then you might just be standing wrong, says Amy Cuddy. In this talk, she explains how taking a powerful stance may not just make you seem more powerful – but actually increase your power. If you take a high-power pose for just two minutes, it can cause you to take more risks, increase your testosterone, and decrease your stress levels.
No. 5 – Margaret Heffernan: Dare To Disagree
Author and entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan makes a strong case against conflict avoidance. Instead, we should be daring to disagree – but trying to use patience and energy to engage with those who think differently, instead of meeting them with dislike and dismissal. It is an eloquent argument which may just change the way you approach challenges.
After watching these TED talks you will find different approaches to the way you do business whether you are running a small business, a ProAdvisor practice or advisory firm. But don’t stop there – there are plenty more in the archives, too.
With a background in Marketing, Jane Bolto currently works as a Content Specialist at Nybizdb.com.