A curated collection of excellent talks by Jenny Beck-Esmay, MD and Teresa Chan, MD

There are countless fantastic TED Talks out there, making it easy to dive down a rabbit hole watching one great one after another.  We have compiled a list of five fantastic talks to get you started.  These talks focus on issues of female empowerment and happiness.  They also give some useful tips you may employ both at home and in the ED to improve your work and quality of life.  Take a look!

Hanna Rosin: New data on the rise of women

Thoughts/Highlights:

Hanna Rosin is the co-founder of DoubleX, a women’s site connected to the online magazine Slate and the co-host of the NPR podcast Invisibilia.  In this talk, she describes what she sees as the current rise of women within society.  She comments on how previous movements advancing women were seen in the 1920s and 1960s and that these were lead by a passionate feminist agenda.  She argues that the advances we are seeing today are different because they are the result of the economic realities in which we live.  She argues that the manufacturing economy that previously dominated our culture has been replaced by a service economy that focuses on information and creativity.  A leader in this new economy requires a different skill set, one to which women are perfectly fit.  Watch the video to see if you agree.

Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders

Thoughts/Highlights:

Sheryl Sandberg (the CEO of Facebook) was made famous for her book “Lean In”, which addresses the issue of women in the workplace.  In this talk she describes the disparity between males and females leaders.  This is also true in physicians, and even in academic medicine.  She provides 3 tips that she thinks can help women achieve leadership roles:  1) Sit at the table; 2) Make your partner a real partner; 3) Don’t leave before you leave.  Want to find out what these mean?  Check out this video to find out.

Amy Cuddy: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

Thoughts/Highlights:

Amy Cuddy suggests that striking a confident pose can trick your brain into feeling more confident.  Although these body language cues have yet to be proven in arenas outside of the interview room (her research is on job interview performance), these techniques might be useful for trainee or junior staff clinicians who sometimes feel themselves turning into shrinking violets.  ‘Power posing’ for 1 minute has been shown in her studies to affect the neuroendocrine system (elevating testosterone, decreasing cortisol).

Mel Robbins: How to stop screwing yourself over

Thoughts/Highlights:

This video is by Ivy League trained lawyer and radio personality Mel Robbins.  In this talk she talks about the “F” word…and how it is a barrier to achieving more. This talk addresses the issue of complacency and how it keeps us from achieving what we truly want.

Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work

Thoughts/Highlights:

Shawn Achor is an American happiness researcher, author, and speaker known for his advocacy of positive psychology.  He argues that it is “not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens through which your brain views your world that shapes your reality.  If we can change the lens, not only can we change your happiness, we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.”  By training the brain toward happiness, you are given the “happiness advantage” which carries over to all the work you do.  According to his research a brain at positive performs better than a brain at negative, neutral or stressed.  This can lead to greater intelligence, creativity and productivity.  Pay special attention to the last few minutes where he gives a few quick, easy suggestions to train a more positive brain.