5 must-see TED talks for business students

Are you an aspiring business student with dreams of starting your own company?

Do you see yourself as the CEO of a successful corporation?  

Studying business will open the doors to endless opportunities by giving you the chance to develop your skills and expertise in marketing, management and leadership, to name just a few.

You might be at a stage in your life where your entrepreneurial ideas are overflowing, or maybe your parents are influencing what you do after university.

We’ve compiled these 5 TED talks to inspire you to start working towards your business goals today!

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 TED events help share ideas in communities around the world.”

1. How great leaders inspire action – Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek introduces his theory behind successful leaders and organisations. Based on the “Golden Circle” pattern, he explains why some people are able to achieve things that seem impossible to others.

Takeaway: people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

2. Why you should make useless things – Simone Giertz

A joyful and humorous talk which shows how important it is to be innovative, deal with performance anxiety and most importantly, learn how to embrace failure.

Takeaway: perhaps each of our solutions and inventions isn’t the answer, but at least you’re asking the question.

3. Programming your mind for success – Carrie Green

An inspirational story of Carrie Green, entrepreneur and founder of the Female Entrepreneur Association, which aims to explain how you can program your mind for success and overcome the obstacles that might appear along the way.

Takeaway: visualise your goals and reform negative thoughts into positive ones.

4. What they don’t tell you about entrepreneurship – Mark Leruste

You might remember Mark, from this CV video which went viral on YouTube and helped him land his dream career. On this TEDx talk, Mark shares the secrets of entrepreneurship and provides a real perspective of creating your own business.

Takeaway: finding your path isn’t always a straight line. It usually takes hits and misses and trying many things out.

5. To find work you love, don’t follow your passion – Benjamin Todd

One of the most controversial TEDx video titles, Benjamin’s talk aims to give an alternative view of the most common career advice. Right or wrong, you decide…

Takeaway: if you’re looking for a fulfilling career, here’s a new slogan to live by: do what’s valuable.

Feeling inspired?

Business, Management and Law students from INTO London World Education Centre, share their dream careers and plans for the future. Find out more in the video below:


It’s not always easy or obvious to discover who you are and what you want to be, but it’s really important to have dreams, targets and a clear direction.  

And remember… good ideas are always worth spreading!  

You may also like to read about 5 business students experiences in the Big Idea Challenge or Lingli’s story of opening her own business.  

Find out more about studying business in the UK or US. 

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