My 10 Favorite TED (and TEDx) Talks

It still amazes me how many people have not heard of TED or TEDx. TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.

Here are my 10 Favorite TED or TEDx Talks:

  1. Juliet Doherty: Be Great!
  2. Joi Ito: Want to innovate? Become a “now-ist”
  3. Steve Jobs: How to live before you die
  4. Sir Ken Robinson: How schools kill creativity
  5. Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability
  6. Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius
  7. Jill Bolte Taylor: Stroke of insight
  8. Daniel Pink: The puzzle of motivation
  9. John Wooden: The difference between winning and succeeding
  10. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness

I hope you will find some spark of inspiration in these talks. Please share your favorites and help spread these ideas.

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DISCUSSION QUESTION:  What are some of your favorite TED or TEDx Talks and why?

Always Stay… HUMBLE AND KIND

You know there’s a lot that goes by the front door
Don’t forget the keys under the mat
Childhood stars shine, always stay humble and kind
Go to church ’cause your momma says to
Visit grandpa every chance that you can
It won’t be a waste of time
Always stay humble and kind

Hold the door say please say thank you
Don’t steal, don’t cheat, and don’t lie
I know you got moutains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When the dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind

Don’t expect a free ride from no one
Don’t hold a grudge or a chip and here’s why
Bitterness keeps you from flying
Always stay humble and kind
Know the difference between sleeping with someone
And sleeping with someone you love
I love you ain’t no pick up line so
Always stay humble and kind

Hold the door say please say thank you
Don’t steal, don’t cheat, and don’t lie
I know you got moutains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When those dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind

When it’s hot, eat a root beer, a popsicle
Shut off the AC and roll the windows down
Let that summer sun shine
Always stay humble and kind
Don’t take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you’re goin’
Don’t forget turn back around
Help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind

Written by Lori Mckenna • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group

A New Day: 28 August

A new day… 28 August! A great day to reflect on our responsibility, the possibilities, and the journey of life.

  • The world is calling out for your contribution!
  • The world is calling out for your genius!
  • The world is calling out for you to LEAD FROM YOUR CURRENT POSITION®!

DISCUSSION QUESTION:  What will you do to Lead From Your Current Position® today?

On the road that leads to AWESOME!

It was 45 years ago, 30 March 1979, that I was Commissioned a Second Lieutenant (Infantry) in the United States Army… while still a “Knob” at The Citadel. A “Knob” as a Junior… and an Army 2nd Lieutenant… at The Citadel. Yep… sounds crazy and it was. I was to walk along a path that no others had walked (and one that others had never observed)… and each day I was reminded why.

As Kid President says so eloquently:

A poem, “two roads diverged in the woods… and I took the road less traveled…” And it hurt, man! Really bad! Rocks! Thorns! and Glass! my pants broke! waahh! Not cool, Robert Frost! But what if there really were two paths? I want to be in the one that leads to awesome.

I’m forever grateful to James & Merle Carroll (from Ozark, Alabama) and Colonel (Ret.) John K. Gibler and Major Doug Rich in particular for their extraordinary leadership. My situation was extremely unique, requiring numerous exceptions and a healthy dose of creativity.

Colonel (Ret.) Gibler and the Army ROTC Cadre at The Citadel modeled what it is really like to take care of your Soldiers… and I’ll never forget that. Airborne, All the Way, Sir!

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Well… I was on the road that led to AWESOME.

Wayne_1LT_1983

HoC-Pollard-1

It was a unique and extraordinary journey that provided me with an equally unique and extraordinary perspective on life. What an incredible honor and privilege to serve… and the journey continues.

And you know what… I am still on the road that leads to AWESOME.

EMBRACE THE WOBBLE™

If we accept that chaos is the “new normal” and that “VUCA” (Volatility–Uncertainty–Complexity–Ambiguity) is a reasonable framework to recognize the nature of the conditions that we operate in, then that begs a question: “How can we best operate in this VUCA environment?” I believe that EMBRACE THE WOBBLE™ will unfold as an extraordinary solution to a stable and balanced life.

INDIVIDUAL STABILITY

Simply put, I believe INDIVIDUAL STABILITY is the most fundamental and essential requirement in life. Other people can tell you about it, demonstrate it, and even try to teach you with tips, tricks, and shortcuts. But I believe it’s an inside-out process that’s best attained through Self-Development (the first phase of LEAD FROM YOUR CURRENT POSITION®).

In order to be highly effective… in fact, EXTRAORDINARY, we must seek to master INDIVIDUAL STABILITY. Yes, it’s a lifelong journey. But, like learning to fly a helicopter, your first major task is to HOVER… to firmly establish yourself on the path to master INDIVIDUAL (aircraft) STABILITY.

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VUCA Prime

If we accept that chaos is the “new normal” and that “VUCA” is a reasonable framework to recognize the nature of the conditions that we operate in, then that begs a question: “How can we best operate in this environment?” How can we flourish in a VUCA world? Some suggest that the best response to VUCA is VUCA PRIME (first introduced by Bob Johansen, a distinguished fellow at the Institute for the Future). It is a method to counter each of the elements of VUCA with a specific counterpart.

Consider this unique approach.

Every organization must be prepared to abandon everything it does to survive in the future.” Peter Drucker

VISIONUNDERSTANDINGCLARITYAGILITY

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Volatility–Uncertainty–Complexity–Ambiguity

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