Written by: Vickie Sullivan | March 01, 2016
More Colorful Characters from TED2016
My favorite thing about TED2016: brilliance in full bloom. Conversations both on and away from the stage are worth the price of admission. This post rounds out my top 10 TED talks based on the lessons learned.
• Fast-paced and funny award: Tim Urban took us on a hilarious ride with his talk about two kinds of procrastination. Great use of vibrant mental pictures: the “dark playground” and the “panic monster” are some of the best labels I’ve heard in a while. Also check out how he used visuals to make his points come alive. Amid all of the laughs, his distinctions were profound.
• Queen of the preemptive strike award: As expected, Shonda Rhimes gave a great performance. But check out how she anticipated our assumptions about her as a (rich) writer and called them out. She also dropped this verbal bomb: she would rather be at work than at home. Next time you give a speech, ask yourself: what one line do you want repeated?
• Most endearing style award: Linux creator Linus Torvalds‘ backstory about his motivations (staying away from people) was authenticity in action. His humble yet brilliant approach made us love him even more. (Bias alert: he reminded me of my geeky husband.)
• Changing the game award: Global theorist Parag Khanna smartly pointed out how the rise of cities challenges our notion of borders and countries. Also check out the new criteria he introduces. The big lesson here: find the focal point that changes how we interpret everything else. This is how thought leadership is done, folks.
• Articulation in action award: Casey Gerald used humor, stories, and great call-back lines to make even better points. How he stitched disparate situations together under one theme (killer label: the gospel of doubt) was eloquence in action. Check his talk out not only for the performance factor, but also to learn how to weave a variety of messages under one killer theme.
TED2016 was a wonderful week that shaped the advice I give for years to come. Use these examples and ask yourself, “What idea of mine is worth spreading?”
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