Watch & Learn: our top 8 human skills talks, authors, podcasts & platforms
Feeling the need to dive into the world of human skills? Want to immerse yourself in inspiration to become more self aware? We have the answer - actually, we have eight answers!
These talks, authors, podcasts and platforms will change the way you look at human skills and give you the oomph to build yours. All of the authors, speakers and influencers listed here have real staying power - you won’t be able to get their wisdom out of your head as you set off on your career journey.
Ready to watch, listen and learn?
Let’s go:
GrowGetters - The Future Skills podcast
There’s much to love about this podcast, it’s hard to know where to start! Kick back and listen to weekly episodes hosted by startup founder Tiffany Hart, and brand strategist Tanya Garma to get up to speed with new working models, tips and hands-on hacks to grow your career.
While this podcast is aimed at “smart women in business”, it’s also brilliant for anyone looking for hacks to launch their career. Don’t miss the episodes on 5 killer ways to shape your personal brand and How to rapidly increase your productivity.
Increase your self-awareness with one simple fix
How self-aware are you really? Organisational psychologist Tasha Eurich has spent the last four years researching what it truly means to be self-aware, and has made a surprising discovery about human perception.
Racking up almost 3.5 million views, her TED talk reveals some of the common misbeliefs about introspective thinking along with a simple way to get to know yourself just a little bit better.
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
OK, the title might not sound inspirational, but How To Fail With Elizabeth Day will truly get you pumped and ready to take on the world of work.
Over the course of the series, host Elizabeth Day celebrates the could-have-beens and should-have-beens to demonstrate a very important lesson: failures aren't all bad. Day interviews celebs including author Marian Keyes, singer Lily Allen, and everyone’s favourite chat show host Graham Norton. (Spoiler alert: they are not failures!).
Adam Grant
If you're not already addicted to the work of this award-winning organisational psychologist, you should be. Adam Grant is the host of WorkLife, a chart-topping TED original podcast, and a New York Times best-selling author. Nerd alert!
Geek out reading Think Again which explores how the ability to rethink and unlearn will become important in a rapidly changing world. And if you’re craving inspiration after your latest setback, stay in and devour Originals, which is filled with stories about great innovators who aren’t afraid to fail.
Just need a monthly dose of genius? Sign up to his email, Granted, and you won’t be disappointed.
The Power of Vulnerability
If you haven’t heard of Brené Brown, now is the time to watch and learn. Brown is an expert in shame and vulnerability (yes, there are experts in that!).
With 54 million views and counting, this talk on vulnerability by Brené Brown is not only laugh-out-loud funny but will really get you thinking about human connection, aka our ability to empathise, belong, and love.
Hodie app
Imagine if you could equip yourself with critical human skills you need for your future career in one simple app? That’s exactly what Hodie is designed for. The app is jam-packed with bite-sized personalised learning quests that you can dip into anytime, anywhere.
The quests are crafted by human skills experts to help you crush your personal and professional goals, as well as tackle specific life and career challenges as they happen, like preparing to job hunt or snapping out of your quarter life crisis.
Download Hodie today to start mastering the skills you want, FREE!
How to win friends and influence people
American Dale Carnegie didn’t want to be poor, like his farmer parents. He didn’t want to be a preacher, like his mum hoped. So, he travelled across the Midwest as a salesman, enrolled in drama school and eventually started teaching people how to sell.
He had one very simple message: be nice to people and they are more likely to be nice back. In 1936, he put his lessons into the now-iconic book which set out six habits you need if you want to influence people.
Simon Sinek
If you only check out one thing by Simon Sinek, watch his talk “How great leaders inspire action”. In the third most watched talk on TED.com with over 40 million views, he explains why some organisations and some leaders are able to inspire where others aren't. But it’s not just for leaders, it’s for anyone who wants to understand their purpose and find their fire.
As Sinek says, “What good is it having a belly if there's no fire in it? Wake up, drink your passion, light a match and get to work.”
The thing about Sinek is that you can’t just stop at one talk! Lose yourself in his articles, books and presentations to learn about collaboration, trust, resilience and other human skills you need to thrive.
Over to you
The brilliant thing about human skills is that you can never stop watching and learning. It’s all part of the process of becoming more self-aware and developing your strengths and skills. You don’t need to watch them all at once - start with one and bookmark the rest for when you’re ready. Then keep adding to your list as you find more!
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