Posted in Books, creativity, TED talks

TED Talk: Steven Johnson about the Idea Process

How the ideas are born? Where and when is the ideal place and time to come up with ideas?

Steven Johnson author of the book “Where Good Ideas Come From” gives a remarkable talk about the recipe for creating a great idea.

“We take ideas from other people, from people we’ve learned from, from people we run into in the coffee shop, and we stitch them together into new forms and we create something new. That’s really where innovation happens.”

Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation

 

For more on his theories and findings, read his book “Where Good Ideas Come From“.

 

Posted in communication, success, TED talks, Workplace

TED Talk: Julian Treasure of How to Speak to be Heard

 

What did I learn from Julian Treasure’s talk?

Seven deadly SINS of speaking. Let’s all try to avoid them!

  1. Gossip
  2. Judging
  3. Negativity
  4. Complaining
  5. Excuses
  6. Exaggeration/ lying
  7. Dogmatism

♠ ♠ ♠

Four elements which will improve the speech to be more powerful and important for the audience:

  1. Honesty = being true to what you say, being straight and clear
  2. Authenticity = just being yourself
  3. Integritybeing your word,actually doing what you say, and being somebody people can trust
  4. Love = wishing people well

♠ ♠ ♠

Six tools which will increase the power of speaking if used in the right way:

  1. Register – speak with deep lower voice if you want to project power and with authority;
  2. Timbre the way the voice feels (people prefer voices which are rich, smooth and warm);
  3. Prosody – the patterns of stress and intonation in speaking;
  4. Pace – how quickly we speak;
  5. Pitch – high or low
  6. Volume

 

Posted in Books, Personality, TED talks

TED Talk: Susan Cain about The Quiet in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

Susan Cain is a former corporate lawyer and negotiations consultant — and a self-described introvert. At least one-third of the people we know are introverts, notes Cain in her book QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Although our culture undervalues them dramatically, introverts have made some of the great contributions to society — from Chopin’s nocturnes to the invention of the personal computer to Ghandi’s transformative leadership.

One remarkable book everyone should read!

Quiet Quotes

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking“The secret to life is to put yourself in the right lighting. For some, it’s a Broadway spotlight; for others, a lamplit desk. Use your natural powers — of persistence, concentration, and insight — to do work you love and work that matters. Solve problems. make art, think deeply.”

♥ ♥ ♥

“So stay true to your own nature. If you like to do things in a slow and steady way, don’t let others make you feel as if you have to race. If you enjoy depth, don’t force yourself to seek breadth. If you prefer single-tasking to multi-tasking, stick to your guns. Being relatively unmoved by rewards gives you the incalculable power to go your own way.”

♥ ♥ ♥

“Indeed, your biggest challenge may be to fully harness your strengths. You may be so busy trying to appear like a zestful, reward-sensitive extrovert that you undervalue your own talents, or feel underestimated by those around you. But when you’re focused on a project that you care about, you probably find that your energy is boundless.”

♥ ♥ ♥

“Introverts need to trust their gut and share their ideas as powerfully as they can. This does not mean aping extroverts; ideas can be shared quietly, they can be communicated in writing, they can be packaged into highly produced lectures, they can be advanced by allies. The trick for introverts is to honor their own styles instead of allowing themselves to be swept up by prevailing norms.” ― Susan Cain, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking