Favorite TED Talk?

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 16:40:54 -0500

We're currently organizing a local community TEDx event, and creating the agenda.  Please help with suggested talks that have inspired you.  Thanks!!

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Nov 17 at 2013 9:29 PM

Capt Brandon Charters — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 21:29:15 -0500

<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_van_uhm_why_i_chose_a_gun.html">T</a>his is one of my all time favorites.  <div><br></div><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://images.ted.com/images/ted/71f2eb1a6ee4f0baf631f9ee7f9228366fec4054_389x292.jpg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_van_uhm_why_i_chose_a_gun.html">Peter van Uhm: Why I chose a gun | Video on TED.com</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">Peter van Uhm is the Netherlands’ chief of defense, but that does not mean he is pro-war. In this talk, he explains how his career is one shaped by a love of peace, not a desire for bloodshed -- and w...</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Nov 17 at 2013 9:32 PM

Capt Brandon Charters — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 21:32:28 -0500

This is also a great one for leadership. Could be my Air Force background, but I really like the parallel he draws to the Wright Brothers in this presentation.

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action | Video on TED.com

Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright broth...

Response by CPT Bill McNeely made Nov 18 at 2013 9:07 PM

CPT Bill McNeely — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 21:07:00 -0500

GEN Stan McCrystal TED Talk Listen Learn then Lead <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmpIMt95ndU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmpIMt95ndU</a>

Response by CPT Bill McNeely made Nov 18 at 2013 9:18 PM

CPT Bill McNeely — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 21:18:18 -0500

Steve Jobs How to Live Be You Die http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios...

Response by 1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2013 4:37 PM

1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 16:37:28 -0500

Elif Shafak: The politics of fiction | Video on TED.com

Listening to stories widens the imagination; telling them lets us leap over cultural walls, embrace different experiences, feel what others feel. Elif Shafak builds on this simple idea to argue that f...

Response by PO2 Alex M. made Nov 24 at 2013 7:14 PM

PO2 Alex M. — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 19:14:58 -0500

This one will help people with boards and interviews but only if they believe in the mind/body and body/mind connection.

http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html?source=facebook#.Ub4sjA-LZ9I.facebook

Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are | Video on TED.com

Response by 1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2013 10:53 PM

1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 22:53:16 -0500

Perhaps given the Army's recent "average-looking women" controversy this should be discussed:

Cameron Russell: Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model. | Video on TED.com

Cameron Russell admits she won “a genetic lottery”: she's tall, pretty and an underwear model. But don't judge her by her looks. In this fearless talk, she takes a wry look at the industry that had he...

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 25 at 2013 11:12 AM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 11:12:54 -0500

NOTE - the TEDx process is actually quite restrictive. We're not able to show any curated talks that go over 18 minutes.

If anyone's interested, the 147 pg manual is at:
http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/TEDxManual.pdf

Response by Capt Anne Krause made Nov 26 at 2013 12:04 PM

Capt Anne Krause — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 12:04:25 -0500

Dan Pallotta's TED talk on charity was fantastic. I went to hear him speak and he is amazing. He is challenging some very old-school paradigms about philanthropy.

Dan Pallotta: The way we think about charity is dead wrong | Video on TED.com

Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend -- not for wha...

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 13 at 2013 6:14 PM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 18:14:42 -0500

So this is what we went with:

Because small things matter...

Drew Dudley: Everyday Leadership
http://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership.html

Daring to be that first follower..
Derek Sivers: How to Start a Movement

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

Because she's one of the most watched speaker on TED...
Brene Brown: Listening to Shame
http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame.html

Because you really can't go wrong with a talk from a fireman about women's shoes...
Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter
http://www.ted.com/talks/mark_bezos_a_life_lesson_from_a_volunteer_firefight
er.html?source=email#.UoLZBoix18Z.email

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 3 at 2014 8:47 AM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 08:47:49 -0500

One of our TEDx speakers writes a blog about doing something every day that's scary. It's based on the Eleanor Roosevelt quote to do one thing a day that scares you. In her case, it was providing her TED talk at our event:

http://heyeleanor.com/blog/2013/12/6/give-a-tedx-talk

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2014 12:10 PM

2LT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 12:10:27 -0400

I'm sure veterans can relate
https://www.ted.com/talks/wes_moore_how_to_talk_to_veterans_about_the_war

How to talk to veterans about the war

Wes Moore joined the US Army to pay for college, but the experience became core to who he is. In this heartfelt talk, the paratrooper and captain—who went on to write"The Other Wes Moore"—explains the shock of returning home from Afghanistan. He shares the single phrase he heard from civilians on repeat, and shows why it's just not sufficient. It's a call for all of us to ask veterans to tell their stories — and listen.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 9 at 2014 6:28 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 18:28:24 -0400

Like some others, I am a Simon Sinek fan-boy. His "Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe," talk is my favorite. He specifically talks about how the military is the best example of this and that selflessness and sacrifice on the part of a leader is one of the most admirable traits any leader can have. This guy is money.

Response by SGT Richard H. made Sep 2 at 2014 6:48 PM

SGT Richard H. — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 18:48:04 -0400

Sooo...I saw this thread title and thought "this should be funny".

I'm glad I did some reading first and didn't just start quoting lines from the movie "Ted".

Response by CPT Ahmed Faried made Sep 16 at 2014 10:41 AM

CPT Ahmed Faried — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 10:41:07 -0400

Sebastian Junger: Why veterans miss war

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2014 11:00 AM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 11:00:39 -0400

I don't know if this has inspired me, but I enjoyed it very much. This is one of my favorite TED Talks:

http://www.ted.com/talks/rives_a_museum_of_4_o_clock_in_the_morning

The Museum of Four in the Morning

Beware: Rives has a contagious obsession with 4 a.m. At TED2007, the poet shared what was then a minor fixation with a time that kept popping up everywhere. After the talk, emails starting pouring in with an avalanche of hilarious references—from the cover of "Crochet Today!" magazine to the opening scene of "The Metamorphosis." A lyrical peek into his Museum of Four in the Morning, which overflows with treasures.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2014 5:56 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 17:56:26 -0400

Here's another one that I think is quite good. I've been meaning to listen to this one for quite a while, and your post, Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member, motivated me to actually take the ten minutes to listen to it. Thank you, ma'am!

http://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_how_to_speak_so_that_people_want_to_listen

How to speak so that people want to listen

Have you ever felt like you're talking, but nobody is listening? Here's Julian Treasure to help. In this useful talk, the sound expert demonstrates the how-to's of powerful speaking — from some handy vocal exercises to tips on how to speak with empathy. A talk that might help the world sound more beautiful.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2014 10:16 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 10:16:00 -0400

I really enjoyed Sebastian Junger's TED talk on why veterans miss war. This is somewhat limited to understanding the relationships between members of a tight knit combat arms unit but there is something for all of us in it, and he relates his own experience and what he has learned from it in a compelling manner.

https://www.ted.com/talks/sebastian_junger_why_veterans_miss_war

Why veterans miss war

Civilians don’t miss war. But soldiers often do. Journalist Sebastian Junger shares his experience embedded with American soldiers at Restrepo, an outpost in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley that saw heavy combat. Giving a look at the "altered state of mind" that comes with war, he shows how combat gives soldiers an intense experience of connection. In the end, could it actually be "the opposite of war" that soldiers miss?

Response by SPC James Mcneil made Oct 8 at 2014 9:31 PM

SPC James Mcneil — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 21:31:18 -0400

Oh, i would LOVE to be able to speak at a TED event!

As far as talks that have inspired me, I would say that Craig Valentine has a lot of good messages on leadership and communication within that topic.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 27 at 2014 1:09 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 13:09:30 -0500

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member, ma'am, I watched another excellent TED talk I want to draw your attention to. This one has an obvious military application, and it's got quite the emotional ending:

http://ted.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=07487d1456302a286cf9c4ccc&id=4b14efdedb&e=7966be2718

The new bionics that let us run, climb and dance

Hugh Herr is building the next generation of bionic limbs, robotic prosthetics inspired by nature's own designs. Herr lost both legs in a climbing accident 30 years ago; now, as the head of the MIT Media Lab’s Biomechatronics group, he shows his incredible technology in a talk that's both technical and deeply personal — with the help of ballroom dancer Adrianne Haslet-Davis, who lost her left leg in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and...

Response by CW5 Jim Steddum made Jan 24 at 2015 8:08 PM

CW5 Jim Steddum — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 20:08:19 -0500

I am glad this thread resurfaced. I love TED Talks. I use them in my classrooms when I can--anything to build leadership confidence. Sometime, I make my kids watch them too.

One that is particularly helpful with new warrant officer candidates with effective communication classes: http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are

Your body language shapes who you are

Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident -- can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2015 7:36 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2015 19:36:38 -0400

I took the time to watch this TED talk today, Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member. I was in tears by the end of it. It's funny, but it's touching as well. Enjoy:

http://www.ted.com/talks/maysoon_zayid_i_got_99_problems_palsy_is_just_one

I got 99 problems... palsy is just one

"I have cerebral palsy. I shake all the time," Maysoon Zayid announces at the beginning of this exhilarating, hilarious talk. (Really, it's hilarious.) "I'm like Shakira meets Muhammad Ali." With grace and wit, the Arab-American comedian takes us on a whistle-stop tour of her adventures as an actress, stand-up comic, philanthropist and advocate for the disabled.