3 Must-Watch TED Talks to Enhance Your Leadership Communication

At The Humphrey Group, we teach that effective communication can transform any interaction into a leadership moment – and the research supports this idea. A study from McKinsey found that strong communication helps build trust, increase employee engagement, and improve overall team performance​.

But understanding the power of communication is just the first step. The challenge many leaders face is turning that knowledge into action. How do you communicate not just to inform but also to inspire? At The Humphrey Group, we believe this comes from aligning your communication with your core beliefs—an approach we call The Leader's Mindset.

And we’re not alone in this belief—these three TED Talks offer powerful insights into elevating your communication, all of which align with The Leader’s Mindset. Together, they show how leaders can turn everyday interactions into opportunities to influence and inspire.

How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek

This popular talk has been viewed over 19 million times on YouTube. In it, Sinek introduces the concept of the “golden circle,” which comprises three levels of communication: “why,” at centre, followed by “how,” with “what” in the outer ring:

Sinek explains that most leaders tend to approach communication from the outside of the circle and move toward the centre. They start with the “what,” like describing a product or service, then describe the “how.” Surprisingly, they often fail to share the most important part: “why” they do it – in other words, their purpose or belief.

Sinek argues that truly inspiring leaders flip that script and start with the “why” because people don’t just buy into products or ideas. What they connect to is the purpose behind these things. Starting with a core belief or purpose creates an emotional connection that truly influences and inspires action.

Aligning Sinek’s Golden Circle with The Leader’s Mindset

Much like Sinek’s Golden Circle, The Leader's Mindset focuses on the importance of emphasizing purpose behind communication. Both frameworks assert that when leaders articulate their vision and core beliefs, they build trust, influence others, and create emotional connections that lead to action.

Here’s how can you apply the principles of The Leader’s Mindset and put Sinek’s “why” approach into action:

• Start by sharing your vision. Before diving into the details, make sure your team understands the vision driving your decisions. In The Leader’s Mindset, every communication is framed by a clear vision, echoing Sinek's belief that purpose inspires loyalty and trust from audiences.
  
  
• Communicate with conviction. At the core of The Leader’s Mindset is influencing through conviction and clarity, which mirrors Sinek’s focus on starting with “why.” Both frameworks agree that connecting emotionally first makes the details of “how” and “what” far more compelling.
  
  
• Be consistent. Just as Sinek advocates for purpose-driven messaging to align leaders with their teams, The Leader's Mindset teaches leaders to return to their vision in every interaction, ensuring consistency and clarity across all communications.

How to Speak So That People Want to Listen by Julian Treasure

Julian Treasure’s talk delivers practical advice on how to communicate effectively to ensure your message resonates with others. In particular, he introduces an acronym, HAIL, which stands for honesty (being clear and straightforward in your speech); Authenticity (being true to who you are); Integrity (delivering your message with consistency and reliability); and, love (communicating with care and empathy).

Treasure goes beyond the content of one’s words to emphasize the importance of delivery. He highlights how the voice itself can be a powerful tool for communication; how varying pitch, tone, and pace can keep listeners engaged. By mastering both what you say and how you say it, you can make your words more impactful and ensure your message lands.

 Connecting Treasure’s HAIL Framework to The Leader’s Mindset

Both approaches focus on intentional and purposeful communication and stress the importance of using communication as a tool for leadership and influence, not just to convey information. Here’s how you can apply The Leader’s Mindset in line with Treasure’s principles:

• Authenticity is at the core of both approaches. Treasure’s emphasis on speaking with authenticity aligns with The Leader’s Mindset, where leaders are encouraged to communicate from a place of conviction and sincerity. Both approaches recognize that authenticity is crucial to building trust and credibility.
• Enhance your presence. With The Leader's Mindset, your tone and presence should reinforce your vision and conviction, ensuring that your message resonates emotionally. Both frameworks stress the importance of delivering your message in a way that engages and inspires your audience.
• Build trust through consistent integrity. Integrity is a key principle in Treasure’s HAIL, and The Leader’s Mindset similarly teaches that leaders must align their actions and words to build trust, ensuring their communication reflects their values and core beliefs.
  
  

10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation by Celeste Headlee

At first glance, this last one may seem like it is out of the realm of leadership. But effective leaders know how to communicate in a way that builds trust and strong relationships. This often starts with engaging in meaningful conversations, but this isn’t a skill everyone naturally has.

Headlee emphasizes the importance of human connection through thoughtful, balanced conversation. She advocates for being fully present, truly listening, and engaging in dialogue without dominating or redirecting it back to oneself. The core of her message is that meaningful conversations are about creating understanding, not winning or proving a point.

Headlee encourages openness, humility, and empathy, which allow conversations to flow naturally, fostering stronger relationships and deeper connections. This focus on active listening and intentional engagement can help people communicate more effectively in both personal and professional settings.

In this talk, Headlee shares ten actionable steps to improve the quality of conversations:

1. Be present and don’t multitask. Focusing on the conversation you’re having.
2. Approach conversation with an open mind.
3. For more meaningful responses, ask open-ended questions.
4. Let the conversation evolve naturally.
5. Be humble and honest when you're unsure – it’s okay not to know everything.
6. Resist the urge to relate everything back to your own experience.
7. Avoid restating the same points over and over.
8. Keep the conversation focused and avoid irrelevant details.
9. Truly hear what the other person says instead of preparing your reply.
10. Keep your responses brief to maintain engagement.

How Celeste Headlee’s Talk Aligns with The Leader’s Mindset

Headlee’s advice to focus on truly listening, rather than just speaking, mirrors The Leader’s Mindset commitment to putting the audience’s needs, perspectives, and concerns at the forefront of every interaction. Both approaches stress the importance of understanding and connecting with the people you’re communicating with. Leaders can adopt The Leader’s Mindset by focusing on how they engage with their audience, applying Headlee’s key conversation techniques:

• Tune into the needs of your audience. The Leader’s Mindset stresses understanding your audience before you speak—an idea that directly connects with Headlee’s emphasis on active listening. Pay attention to the audience’s values and concerns, and tailor your message to resonate with them.
• Listen with empathy. Leaders should focus on listening before speaking, which allows them to fully understand the other person's perspective and respond in a way that inspires trust and collaboration. Similar to Headlee’s advice to engage without dominating.
• The audience-centered approach in The Leader’s Mindset is about creating a tailored message that will resonate with the target audience. By engaging with empathy and humility, leaders ensure their audience feels heard and valued, fostering stronger connections and inspiring action.

How These Top 3 Leadership Ted Talks Connect to The Leader’s Mindset

At The Humphrey Group, we teach that every communication opportunity is a chance to inspire. As these TED Talks from Simon Sinek, Julian Treasure, and Celeste Headlee show, leadership is not just about what you say, but how you connect with your audience. When you lead with purpose, authenticity, and empathy—core principles of The Leader’s Mindset—you transform everyday conversations into powerful moments of leadership.

Ready to enhance your leadership communication skills? Our comprehensive training
solutions are designed to meet your unique needs. Whether you're looking to improve
storytelling, build inclusivity, or lead confidently in diverse environments, we have the
expertise to guide you. Explore our learning experiences here.