Where do great companies and great leaders get new ideas and how do they stay motivated when the daily pressure of managing the finances, dealing with difficult customers, and resolving employee conflicts? There are many great resources available online for business owners and executives to improve their business, gain new leadership skills, and recharge their entrepreneurial spirit to take their businesses and organizations to the next level.
Almost everyone has seen a TED Talk but few people return to watch them on a regular basis. Their website clearly defines what they are, why they are, and what they do:
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.
TED Talk topics cover everything in life from personal to professional. Some of the diverse topics include activism, addiction, artificial intelligence, alternative energy, art, biotech, business, climate change, comedy, creativity, entrepreneurship, evolution, engineering, family, faith, genetics, happiness, innovation, manufacturing, motivation, personal growth, politics, productivity, relationships, social media, software, technology, virtual reality, and so much more.
With so many great topics by the sharpest minds of our time – it can be difficult to figure out where to start with TED. They list their 25 most popular TED Talks of all time which is a great place to start.
Another great way to get motivated and inspired is to travel – especially if you’re traveling somewhere for an adventure or to meet with customers or suppliers where you can learn first-hand about opportunities to deliver new products and services.
You may also join a professional group – whether it’s Vistage for CEOs and business owners, a state or local accounting association; your local chapter of SHRM for human resources; our industry associations. The key here is to actively look for ways to participate and contribute to these groups. Simply attending is one thing but you get a whole lot more when you get involved in these organizations.
Take time away from the business to refocus on you. This can take the form of art, reading, exercise, or other hobbies. A fresh body will allow you to think more clearly and you may discover new strategies for your business or personal life from these activities.
Take time to learn. You could take a course at a local college or online. You could spend just a few minutes each day surfing the internet to find topics from top entrepreneurial websites (a great list is provided on Inc.’s site here). Pick up some business books that you haven’t read and commit to reading one each week during lunch, before work, or whenever you get a few free minutes. There are thousands of great lists of business books. One of our favorite lists is from Ryan Robinson on his blog here but you can find many other great lists on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other sites if you just take the time to look for them.
No matter which direction you take to find inspiration – the important thing is that you realize the importance of recharging and refocusing on yourself and your business. It’s a constant journey and we all have much more to learn and much more to achieve.
And when your business grows you can rest assured that there are companies out there like us that can help you manage your business technology needs from accounting and ERP to human resources, business intelligence, integration, and more. Contact us for a free business technology review and discover how we help our customers take their businesses to the next level.Learn how dude solutions gained a 360-degree view of their entire business.
