If you’re already an entrepreneur; or aspire to be one – you must be well aware by now that an ‘Entrepreneur’ is an innovator, leader, risk-taker, salesperson, spokesperson, brand ambassador and many more titles - all rolled into one.
Entrepreneurship is all about nurturing the ‘idea’ you deeply believe in and taking massive responsibility in developing, organising and managing it into a business venture; with the willingness to embrace any risks associated with it, in order to make a profit.
At the core of it, ‘entrepreneurship’ is essentially about living a life that expresses your ‘authentic’ self; through which you find the freedom to pursue your dreams and make positive changes in your life and the lives of people around you.
No one is born with the ‘DNA’ of an entrepreneur; it’s through ones circumstances and life experiences which inspires and shapes people to become one.
The four key traits which author Anthony K. Tjan believes to be crucial to entrepreneurial and business-building success are Heart, Smart, Guts & Luck – which he outlines in his bestseller with the same name.
Now, whether you already possess a personality that is pre-disposed to these traits or you’d like to develop them – Today we bring you 6 powerful Ted Talks that could help you nurture and inspire the ‘entrepreneurial passion’ within you:
1. Angela Lee Duckworth - Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Angela Duckworth left her high-flying Management Consulting job to take an even harder job of teaching math to seventh graders at New York City Public School.
In this Ted Talk which has over 3 million views, Angela says her change in the profession was fueled by the quest to find out why some students succeeded while some got frustrated. And she quickly realised that IQ wasn’t the factor separating the successful students from the laggards.
She explains it was ‘grit’ which predicted success in those students rather than just Talent or IQ.
Angela, through her extensive study on variety of verticles; including educators, teachers, students, parents, athletes or business people; came to the conclusion that the secret to outstanding achievement is not IQ or talent but a special blend of passion and persistence, which she calls GRIT!
2. Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation
Dan Pink, who has his best sellers like Drive, To Sell Is Human and A Whole New Mind gives this intriguing Ted Talk on how we’ve (mostly the business world) got it all mixed up when it comes to motivation and shows us the true essence of motivation which will trigger more positive habits in the 21st century.
On this Ted Talk which has received more than 6 million views, Dan validates his points on scientific experiments conducted by revered institutions worldwide; and concludes that the ‘contingent’ motivators; or the ‘carrots and sticks’ may work in some circumstances but for a lot of tasks, they either don’t work or most often do more harm than good.
He advocates that the new approach to human motivation is built around ‘intrinsic motivation’- meaning we are more motivated to something because we like it; it’s interesting and is a part of something important – and this operating system for business revolves around three elements: Autonomy, Mastery & Purpose!
3. Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Another incredible Ted Talk which cannot be left out from this list is the one from Simon Sinek. The Ted Talk is the second most viewed video of all time in TED.com. Simon with his simplistic yet powerful model of the ‘golden circle’; and the question ‘Why?’- reveals how great leaders inspire action to bring about massive change, innovate and build great products and brands.
Citing global leaders and innovators such as Martin Luther King, The Wright Brothers and Steve Jobs as examples, Simon gives a compelling presentation on how these great minds were driven by why they do, what they do; and how can all of us build a purposeful life, organisation or a brand by starting to think and communicate from the ‘inside out’!
4. Richard Branson: Life at 30,000 Feet
This Ted Talk takes you into the personal life and business experiences of one of the most successful and interesting entrepreneur of our times, Sir Richard Branson.
Richard, who dropped out of school at the age of 15, is a maverick who has found scores of successful businesses around the globe and inspired millions through his unique and unorthodox approach to business.
In this 30 minute Ted Talk, you will get the opportunity to feel the ‘hard work’ Richard puts into his multinational conglomerate, Virgin Group; and to tap into the mindset of this unparalleled genius of a leader; who is willing to jump out of an airplane or cross the Atlantic on a hot air balloon, as PR and publicity stunts for his companies.
5. Tony Robbins -
Coming from the one of the most influential motivational speaker and mentor with career expanding over 35 years; in this Ted Talk Tony Robbins (www.tonyrobbins.com) inspires you to dig deep into your emotions if you’d like to find what is motivating you for your action.
If you’re looking for success in your business or life – understanding emotions and the needs of others is a crucial beginning. Tony, with his exceptional presentation and delivery skills puts his message across and reveals the ‘Invisible Forces’ that makes us do what we do!
Finally…
We hope the above Ted Talks will act as a dose of ‘inspiration’ and help you incite the ‘entrepreneurial bug’ in you to build successful businesses and world around you!
If you'd like further assistance or would like to discuss anything covered today, we'd love to hear from you.
Call Andy Fox (me) on (03) 5249 5570 or email andy@element7digital.com.au
Our Website is www.element7digital.com.au
