Leadership is an important skill in the workplace as well as our everyday lives. Organizations need leaders to to set a clear goals and then motivate and inspire employees to reach those accomplishments. TED talks help build leadership skills and bring people together under a common purpose.

1. Everyday leadership by Drew Dudley

Drew Dudley tells a story about a girl getting ready to go to college for the first time. She was scared and wanted to quit. He had been handing out lollipops and told the guy next to her to give her one. In that moment she knew she wasn’t going to quit. Years later she saw Dudley again and told him the story which he refers to as a lollipop moment. Many have a lollipop moment, but never tell the person who inspired it. We need to realize the power and impact we have in people’s everyday lives. Dudley said, “As long as we make leadership something bigger than us and make it about changing the world, we give ourselves an excuse not to expect it from ourselves and each other.”

2. Why we have too few women leaders by Sheryl Sandberg

There is only 16 percent of women at top executive or board positions in business. Sandberg thinks the easiest way to change that is for women to stay in the workforce. Women tend to underestimate their own abilities and you don’t get a promotion if you don’t think you deserve success. When someone needs to stay home more, the woman is more likely to give up her career. Men and women need to be equal at home as well as the workplace. Women start thinking about having families and stop thinking about new projects and promotions. Sandberg said, “Don’t make decisions too far in advance, particularly ones you are not even conscious you are making.”

3. The difference between winning and succeeding by John Wooden

Never try to be better than someone else, always learn from others and never cease trying to be the best you can be. Success is knowing you made the effort to do the best you are capable and tried to improve the situation. John Wooden had three coaching rules for his players: never be late, no profanity, and never criticize a teammate. We can take some of these rules and implement them in our lives to help us find success as well. Wooden said, “Don’t whine. Don’t complain. Don’t make excuses. Just get out there and do it to the best of your ability. No one can do more than that.”

4. Tribal leadership by David Logan

A tribe is a naturally forming group of 20 to 150 people. Not all tribes are the same. The difference is the tribal culture. David Logan discusses the five stages of a tribe. Stage one produces people that do horrible things. Stage two produces people that think their life sucks. In stage three people say I’m great and you’re not. Many people are in stage three and get stuck there. Stage four tribes think they are great and stage five tribes think life is great. Leaders are fluent in all five tribal stages, so they can touch every person in society. Leaders nudge people and the tribe to the next stage. Logan said, “People who build world-changing tribes, extend the reach of their tribes by connecting them to people who don’t know each other to something greater than themselves.”

Leaders affect the way people see each other and the world. Great leaders inspire others to create world-changing innovations and initiatives.