Whether you’re a small business owner growing a brick-and-mortar store or a wannabe entrepreneur dreaming of launching a successful startup, honing your skills as a leader is crucial if you want a company that survives and thrives. Even the best leaders make ongoing efforts to improve their people skills as their careers progress.
Learning how to become a more efficient leader not only helps your company grow, but it also can be a deciding factor on whether potential backers invest in your company. Angel investors and venture capitalists looking to fund startups often point to a founder’s ability to build and lead a team as a crucial element in their decision to invest.
If you want to become a better leader and a more resilient entrepreneur, there are a number of TED talks you should add to your must-watch list. Following are five best TED talks picks for savvy entrepreneurs on the hunt for advanced leadership skills:
Dan Pink – The Puzzle of Motivation
Filmed at TEDGlobal 2009, this powerful TED talk offers insights on employee recognition and surprising insights regarding rewards as motivating factors. Whether you are a startup founder leading a small team or a solo-entrepreneur who dreams of building a scalable company, Dan Pink’s talk is a must-discover resource. You’ll be impressed with his insights and might even find yourself thinking differently about your approach to hiring and team building.
Susan Cain – The Power of Introverts
Understanding your introverts is crucial if you want to build an empowered team. Filmed at TED2012, this inspiring speech offers insights not often applauded in today’s “killing it” and “crushing it” startup world. Rather than only celebrating your gregarious and outgoing employees, it is important to recognize and encourage the powerful skills your introverted staff members bring to the team.
Pamela Meyer – How to Spot a Liar
Recorded at TEDGlobal 2011, this is a must-watch video if you ever plan to approach investors for funding. This presentation will teach you how to discern when someone is being less than truthful with you and give you body language signs to monitor. From investors inviting you to pitch and then passing on your company, to wannabe angels who want you to pay to pitch, knowing how to spot untruthfulness is a key skill for an up-and-coming entrepreneur.
Elizabeth Gilbert – Your Elusive Creative Genius
This talk from TED2009 offers tips on how to tap into your own inner creative juices. Rather than thinking geniuses are few and far between, this presentation highlights the concept that individuals harbor their own genius tendencies. Worth watching a couple of times, you might initially think this presentation borders on religious fervor. It is only after watching a couple of times, you’ll realize Gilbert’s thinking is more metaphorical than you first suspected. It’s a powerful presentation if you want to become a leader who encourages employee growth and maximized talent.
Shawn Achor – The Happy Secret to Better Work
From TEDxBloomington, this 2011 speech spotlights the concept that happiness drives productivity. Rather than thinking that productive workers are happy workers, this presentation makes you consider the possibility that the equation needs to be flipped. By focusing on creating a happier workplace, you not only encourage loyalty amongst your staff members, but you might also be boosting productivity at the same time. As an entrepreneur leading a team, the more advanced your management skills, the better your opportunities to outperform your competitors.
Making a habit of watching empowering TED speeches is an excellent way to hone your skills as an entrepreneur. You’ll learn techniques you can incorporate into your management style and uncover thought processes you might not otherwise have considered. How many of the above-listed best TED talks presentations will you be watching to improve your skills as an entrepreneur?
