The idea being – Tribes are groups that you can lead and inspire and we’re all looking to be lead and inspired.

If you’re building a movement, these are the three questions to ask yourself:

• Who are you upsetting?  Leader of change upsets people.
• Who are you connecting?  Tribes connect people
• What are you leading? Leaders lead tribes.  Who is your tribe?

The full title of the talk is “Why tribes, not money or factories will change the world”.

Thanks Loic for the pointer.

My special way of feeling good and getting inspired is to watch videos on TED.

If you’re not very familiar with TED, you should be.

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.  The annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).
Their site makes the best talks and performances from TED and partners available to the world, for free. More than 400 TEDTalks are now available, with more added each week. These videos are released under a Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted.

Today I watched Mae Jemison, the astronaut, make a case for teaching arts and sciences together. Too long, she says, has there been the belief that scientists are not creative and artists are not analytic.  Arts and sciences are both manifestations of the same thing.

One of her best lines is “science provides an understanding of a universal experience and art provides a universal understanding of a person experience.” One her funniest was in quoting the microbiologist, Sydney Brenner, “It’s always important to distinguish between chasity and impotence.”

She makes the case for me of integrating the intuitive and the analytic. Time for me to supplement my very deficient science education.

I’m a sucker for Life Lesson and often find them most inspiring and memorable when they come in the form of metaphor.

In this talk at TED, Matthew Childs, a veteran rock climber shares 9 lessons to be learned from rock climbing that are also applicable at “sea level”.

Rule #1 Don’t Let Go
Rule #2 Hesitation is Bad
Rule #3 Have a Plan

You get the idea, the lessons are short and to the point.

I really like the simplicity of the message and the reinforcement that comes from their connection to the rock climbing metaphor.

Take a break and watch this 4 minute video.

Schwartz makes these points about a wise person

• they know how to improvise
• they know how to use the moral skills in the use of the right aims
• they are made not born

Watch the presentation