Presentations like TED talks are fueled by fresh ideas that an audience’s brain can gnaw on. We’ve seen so many great TED talks lately that offer a spark of inspiration, providing insight into our personalities and the world around us. That in mind, we’ve collected five recently uploaded TEDs that provide nuggets of wisdom for all speakers, presenters, and seekers. All of these videos are less than 20 minutes long, and all somehow related to the art of speaking itself. We hope you’ll find just as much inspiration as we did in these up-and-coming talks.
“Why I keep speaking up, even when people mock my accent” by Safwat Saleem
Finding your authentic voice is one of the most difficult challenges that a speaker faces. It becomes even trickier when your audience is already predisposed to a certain opinion about you the moment you open your mouth. All speaker’s can find a little relief (and humor) in Saleem’s TED talk, which challenges the “notion of normal.”
“Who are you, really? The puzzle of personality” by Brian Little
We are huge fans of becoming more self aware in order to improve your abilities as a speaker; nothing is more important than first unpacking the notion of “self” in order to become your very best self. Brian Little explores the topic of personality and its malleability, further diving into the notion of introverts, extroverts, and what we believe to be true about ourselves.
“What will be the next big scientific breakthrough?” by Eric Haseltine
Great presentations are always looking ahead to see the next big trend and address the next big concern. We love this talk by Eric Haseltine, which makes us feel like anything is possible in the realm of scientific discovery. If we applied this optimism to all of our presentations, our audience would walk away with the kind of motivation that we as speakers hope to cultivate.
“This is your brain on communication” by Uri Hasson
Learning the neuroscience behind speaking is one of our passions as a presentation design and training company. We love to find the answers to questions like: what makes the brain tick? What makes storytelling so effective? This talk by Uri Hasson does a great job of scratching that curious itch for us.
“The dream we haven’t dared to dream” by Dan Pallotta
If you’re looking for motivation to jump up off the couch and get started on your speaking career, we highly recommend this TED talk. What’s holding you back? Dan Pallet explores the many reasons we are unable to move forward and pursue our dreams, and how to overcome these different roadblocks.
Like this article? Check out these related posts about great speeches:
5 Lessons from Adam Grant’s TED Talk
