CHICAGO–Becoming a better and more effective manager are never-ending journeys. Here are five Ted talks for managers on learning core leadership skills.
1) “What makes us feel good about our work?” by Dan Ariely
Dan Ariely is one of the best behaviorial economics researchers in the world.
He has written amazing, best selling books like Predictably Irrational to help explain how humans really behave. In this TED talk, Ariely reveals key motivators for people doing their jobs (hint: It’s not money!)
2) “The puzzle of motivation” by Dan Pink
Understanding motivation is crucial to leading a great team, which is why I’m including another talk on the subject. In this TED talk, Dan Pink reveals that research shows that financial motivators actually hinder creativity. That means if you work in a role requiring creativity and problem solving, offering bonuses and cash rewards can hurt you and your team’s performance.
So what do you do instead? Provide your team 3 things, according to Pink.
3) “Why we do what we do” by Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins is a legendary motivational speaker and coach to famous CEOs. This talk covers what really can drive you for success or failure in life. According to Robins, you have key decisions to make to drive your life for the better or worse. In this talk, Robbins covers a ton of concepts in rapid fire.
4) “The power of believing you can improve” by Carol Dweck
Carol Dweck is a psychology professor at Stanford University. Author of the book Mindset, this talk is a summary of many of the concepts she covers in her book.
The key is understanding what it means to have a growth mindset. It means understanding that skills, all skills, can be learned. Don’t tell someone, “wow, you’re smart” or, “wow, you’re a natural.” Instead, you want to encourage and reward people for their hard work and the drive to learn new things that is buried inside all of us, she says.
5) “How great leaders inspire action” by Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek is an author and motivational speaker who has a simple three step concept that he believes drives the success of the world’s greatest leaders. Those steps are:
- Why – Why do you do what you do? What is the purpose or cause for your organization?
- How – How do you do it? How do you execute on the what?
- What – What do you do you and your business do? What are your features or services?
People usually build their business from What to How and then possibly a Why. However, Sinek posits that the best leaders start with why. He says, “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.