Video Resources

Video 1: Natalie Warne: Being Young and Making an Impact

Description: This 12:50 TED talk illustrates that no one is too young to make a significant change in the world. Motivated to make an impact in the world, Natalie Warne describes how she became involved in a nationwide movement to pass a bill in Congress after learning about the Invisible Children movement and child soldiers in Africa.

Video 2: Rebecca Saxe: How We Read Each Other’s Minds

Description: In this 16:48 TED talk, Rebecca Saxe addresses the brain’s ability to make moral judgments. Sensing the motives and feelings of others is a natural talent; Saxe shares her research in the lab that uncovers how the brain thinks about others’ thoughts and judges their actions. This takes place in a specific region of the brain, and this talent takes a long time to develop.

Video 3: Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos Delivers Graduation Speech at Princeton University

Description: In this 18:43 commencement speech at Princeton University, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos tells a story about his childhood experiences with his grandparents to illustrate what truly forms a person’s character. He maintains that character is not formed by what gifts you are born with alone, but rather by the choices you make. He warns graduates not to be seduced by their gifts and to make good choices throughout their lives.

Video 4: Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation

Description: In this 18:33 TED talk, career analyst Dan Pink points out that research has shown that traditional rewards are not always as effective as we think. Contingent motivators do not work in all situations. However, organizations continue to use extrinsic motivators such as pay for performance programs. He describes how organizations today need to switch to new motivations: self-direction, autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

Video 5: Despair, Inc.--The Art of Demotivation: “Addressing Employee Complaints”

Description: This satirical 4:15 clip presents a tongue-in-cheek look at workplace motivation from a “different angle.” In this installment of the humorous and award-winning management training series from Despair.com, company founder E. L. Kersten provides executives and managers with a shockingly effective strategy for responding to the complaints of their subordinates. (Note: This video is satire!).