5 must see talks (according to our presentation skills trainer)

Are you a developer, team lead or even a startup founder? If you want to close a deal, introduce a new strategy or pitch a new app, presentation skills are a great asset that will definitely impact your success.

Strong presentation skills are a must whether you’re presenting your ideas to your team or to a potential client. Giving a strong impression can boost your career and increase your chances of getting noticed in a job interview. As a leader, you can communicate effectively in different situations and help your team understand what’s expected of them. To put it bluntly, good presentation skills are what distinguishes those who succeed from those who fail.

We already discussed why it’s essential to focus on sharpening you presentational skills if you want to be successful but now it’s time to look at some actual examples.

For this blogpost, we had a small chat with Cris van Cleemput – Founder and owner of Cyres and Exellys’ longtime presentation skills trainer. He listed some of his all-time favorite talks which we boiled down in this short list. These speakers have a combination of passion, confidence, empathy, a good story to tell and a strong voice to accompany it.

J.K. Rowling – Harvard Commencement

Writer J.K.Rowling describes failure as a guarantee in life. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default. Her speech provides some valuable life lessons on how to perceive failure and how to transform beyond your own habitual environment.

Amy Cuddy – Your body language may shape who you are

Social psychologist Amy Cuddy explains that body language can affect how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. This is something that we can use to our advantage by mastering something called “power posing”, or standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident.

This particular talk is a perfect example of why including a personal story is important. Watch it for yourself and discover why.

Arnold Schwarzenegger – Rules of success

You might not have expected the Terminator himself in this list but this speech by Arnold Schwarzenegger is a powerful source of inspiration. Based on his life, this moving talk reveals how dreams can come true if you create a clear vision of your goals and never listen to naysayers.

Robert Waldinger – What makes a good life

As explained by the psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, happiness doesn’t come with fame or money. Waldinger says that while many people believe that fame, wealth, and hard work will bring them happiness, in fact it’s our social connections that matter the most and guarantee our wellbeing. In this talk, he shares three important life lessons based on the longest study on happiness, including some useful, proven methods on how to live a fulfilling life.

Steve Jobs – Stanford Commencement

Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement speech is one of our favorites from this list. The late Apple Co-Founder & CEO encourages graduates to follow their dreams and seek for opportunities in every obstacle. He demonstrates how time is limited and that being dogmatic doesn’t bring anything worthwhile. He also talks about setbacks in life, and how being aware of death can affect your choices. At the end, he finished his speech with some words on the importance of following your heart and intuition and how you can’t go wrong if you do that. Stay hungry, stay foolish.

Up to you?

If these talks inspired you as much as they did us, take your time and put some theory into practice, right now. We already listed 10 ways to become better at presenting.

Perhaps, you want to learn directly from several real experts in the field? That’s why we integrated “The Art Of Presenting” into our Start Smart training and coaching program. Want to learn about how this program can accelerate your career?  Have a look at our website and get in touch with us. Good luck!