Tedtalks Business

A self-declared "repair geek," Gay Gordon-Byrne is a driving force behind the right-to-repair movement, which aims to empower people to fix their stuff. She describes how the movement is gaining legislative momentum and breaks down how the global shift away from "throwaway society" can literally turn trash into treasure in a circular economy -- so we can all experience that "Yes! I fixed it!" feeling.

Looking to get ahead in your career? Start by being respectful to your coworkers, says leadership researcher Christine Porath. In this science-backed talk, she shares surprising insights about the costs of rudeness and shows how little acts of respect can boost your professional success—and your company's bottom line.

Businesses need to stop cutting labor costs and start investing in people, says social impact investor Warren Valdmanis. In this perspective-shifting talk, he breaks down the essential ingredients of a "good" job—which is more than just the size of a paycheck—and shares why they're key to building great companies.

WorkLife with Adam Grant is back for a fifth season! Organizational psychologist Adam Grant knows that you spend a quarter of your life at work–and in this show, he talks to some of the world’s most unusual professionals to discover how we can actually enjoy all that time. From breaking down “The Great Resignation” to identifying the work culture that’s right for you, to learning the art of the pitch, this season is packed with actionable insights to help you make work not suck. To hear episodes right now, find and follow WorkLife with Adam Grant wherever you're listening to this.

From "got milk?" to "avocados from Mexico," marketing influences what you eat more than you may realize. But despite the known power of food marketing, farmers in Africa are more likely to receive funding for seed and fertilizer than they are for advertising geniuses. Agricultural development expert Zoë Karl-Waithaka outlines three ways industry, governments, NGOs and others can help African farmers improve their livelihoods -- and positively impact society, the economy and the environment.

"The way we cool things down is heating the planet even more," says sustainable development expert Rachel Kyte -- and the solutions go well beyond just fixing air-conditioning. She identifies four major areas with transformative solutions -- from roofs painted with bright white paint to solar control glass to more efficient cold chains for vaccines -- that can be implemented in fair and sustainable ways. Learn more about what a community designed for cool could look like.

There's a mistaken belief in today's working world that leaders need to be serious all the time to be taken seriously. The research tells a different story. Based on the course they teach at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, behavioral scientist Jennifer Aaker and corporate strategist Naomi Bagdonas delve into the surprising power of humor: why it's a secret weapon to build bonds, power, creativity and resilience -- and how we can all have more of it.

Childcare needs a transformation -- but rather than investing billions in new buildings and schools, what if we could unlock the potential of people already nearby? Entrepreneur Chris Bennett offers an innovative way to tackle the shortage of childcare worldwide and connect families to safe, affordable and high-quality options in their own communities.

Amishi Jha studies how we pay attention: the process by which our brain decides what's important out of the constant stream of information it receives. Both external distractions (like stress) and internal ones (like mind-wandering) diminish our attention's power, Jha says -- but some simple techniques can boost it. "Pay attention to your attention," Jha says.

Kindness can go a long way when it comes to reshaping a business. Having saved a fashion company from the brink of bankruptcy, entrepreneur James Rhee shares the value of investing in a culture of compassion at work -- and shows why we should all lead with our hearts.

When a psychologist who studies well-being ends up with a brain tumor, what happens when she puts her own research into practice? Christina Costa goes beyond the "fight" narrative of cancer -- or any formidable personal journey -- to highlight the brain benefits of an empowering alternative to fostering resilience in the face of unexpected challenges: gratitude. After the talk, Modupe shares a few tips for making gratitude a daily practice.

Work that's dictated by a fixed schedule, place and job description doesn't make sense anymore, says leadership expert Debbie Lovich. In light of the cultural shift towards remote work sparked by the pandemic, Lovich gives three essential tips to leaders so employees can keep their autonomy (while remaining productive), companies can let go of rigid bureaucracy and we can all reshape work to better fit our lives. After the talk, Modupe explores the benefits and downsides of attending meetings remotely.

Computer skills aren't what's stopping people from breaking into the tech industry, says social entrepreneur Irma L. Olguin Jr. More often, the biggest hurdles are things like access to childcare, transportation and financial stability. In this visionary talk, Olguin Jr. introduces the work she's done to uplift and empower people in her community in Fresno, California -- and shows how it can be a model to elevate "underdog" communities across the world. After the talk, Corey speaks with Irma about her career, how she got started, and what she's doing next.

As chairman of the world's largest maritime shipping company, Jim Hagemann Snabe thinks a lot about how goods get where they need to go and the impact their journey has on the planet. Leading the effort to decarbonize shipping by 2050, he shares a plan to convert green electricity into green liquid fuel to power vessels in a process called "power-to-X" -- and urges global leaders to join the voyage towards an innovative, sustainable and fast-approaching future. After the talk, Corey talks about how we can accomplish enormous, seemingly impossible goals, by breaking them down and making them manageable.

The financial sector often talks of decarbonizing investment portfolios as a way to fight climate change. But portfolios can be "cleaned" without having any real impact on the problem, says investment expert Nili Gilbert. Bringing science to finance, she unpacks how investors can actually help decarbonize the world and ensure the climate transition is just, global and interconnected. After the talk, Corey discusses how many businesses are boasting climate-beneficial practices, and how you can vet their impact as a consumer.

Did you know that in the US the average white family has ten times as much wealth as a black family? Ten times. But while we wait for government policies to shrink that gap, we all decide where our money goes. So how can we collectively chip away at that gap, now? In this episode, we find out. First, through a talk by BCG consultant Kedra Newsom Reeves that follows her family through generations to understand how policy helped build this gap—and what financial institutions can do now to shrink it. Then, Modupe talks with founder Shani Dowell, the first black woman in Tennessee to raise a million dollars in VC funding, about the creative techniques that anybody can use to start redistributing wealth in America. We'll be back from break next week, but meanwhile we hope you enjoy this favorite from the TED Business archive.

When an organization is battered by critics, how does it usually respond? “Deny and push back, put out some sort of lame statement,” says Bob Langert, “and no progress is made at all.” But based on 25 years leading sustainability and corporate responsibility at McDonald’s, Bob proposes another way: To work with critics. In this talk, he shares stories that take us from the Amazon to slaughterhouses, from tree huggers to corporate suits, all in the search for common ground with his greatest detractors. While we're taking a break, we hope you enjoy this favorite from the TED Business archive.

Confidence. We talk about it all the time. We know it matters. And still, educator and activist Brittany Packnett thinks we underestimate it. "Confidence,” she says, “is the necessary spark before everything that follows.” In this talk, Brittany identifies the three basic elements of this elusive force, which can be especially valuable for people whose role models don’t look like them. After the talk, Modupe shares one more technique that has propelled her year after year at work, and explores the power of finding your "superpower" at work. And, Spiderman makes a brief appearance. While we're taking a break, we hope you enjoy this favorite from the TED Business archive—maybe it'll even help you find the confidence to pursue your most bold resolutions this year.

You know you need a mentor to advance your career, but have you ever considered who your sponsor is? Carla Harris, vice chairman at Morgan Stanley, explains the crucial importance of identifying a person who will speak on your behalf in the top-level, closed-door meetings you're not invited to (yet). Learn why your pool of potential sponsors is bigger than you might think—and how to think carefully about how to present yourself to them. We're taking a break from the holidays, and hope you enjoy this TED Business archive talk as you plan for the year ahead and think about who will help you get the most out of 2022.

The end of another year is upon us, so it's time to take stock of where we've been and look ahead at where business is going. Today, Modupe talks to Harvard Business School professors and hosts of the TED Audio Collective podcast “After Hours” Youngme Moon, Mihir Desai, and Felix Oberholzer-Gee to reflect on this year’s learning opportunities and the conversations they are keeping an eye on for 2022. The trio also talk about how they got into the habit of making end of year predictions, what they’ve been wrong (or surprisingly right) about, and what and what our obsession with predicting the future says about us. Check out their full 2022 predictions on “After Hours” wherever you’re listening to this.