TED TalksIn order to become an innovator of fresh ideas, it is necessary to think like an innovator. I believe one of the best ways to develop a mind that thinks innovatively is to study people who are considered true innovators.

Study them, not so that you can mimic their actions, but to have a better understanding of how an innovative mind works. It’s not very often that we come into contact with truly innovative people.

That’s why one of my favorite resources has become the TED Talks videos. The speakers at the TED conferences have been described as, “some of the world’s most fascinating people: trusted voices and convention-breaking mavericks, icons and geniuses.” I would also classify every TED speaker as on innovator of sorts because of they come from all walks of life, each bringing something very original and new to the conference.

I’m still working my way through all videos, but so far each one that I have watched has left my head swirling with information and ideas. I’m not the only one who seems to have found value in TED Talks, Guy Kawasaki has found them beneficial enough that they have become a recurring topic on his blog. Some day I hope to attend one of the TED conferences in person but for now I have decided to keep my both of my kidneys (In contrast to one of my recent posts titled, Take My Kidney and Give Me Ted) and enjoy TED Talks instead.

One of my favorites is Malcolm Gladwell’s presentation as he explains what every business can learn from spaghetti sauce.