Talks at Google

As the author of "The Rise of Superman" and co-founder of the Flow Genome Project, Steven Kotler is one of the world's leading experts on ultimate human performance. In this Talk, he provides a tour of the current research focusing on "flow states”, or an optimal state of consciousness where we both feel our best and perform our best.  Researchers now know that flow sits at the heart of almost every athletic championship, underpins most major scientific breakthroughs, and accounts for significant progress in the arts. In business, its impact has been substantial. Coders in flow built the internet; video game designers in flow built the video game industry. "Flow state percentage" has been called the most important management metric for building great innovation teams. As a result of this, an increasing number of companies have put the cultivation of flow at the heart of their philosophies. So what is this mysterious state? How does it work its magic? And if this really is the secret to ultimate human performance, how can we get more of it in our personal and professional lives? Stay tuned to find out! Originally published in April of 2014. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1MHyyWsMeE] to watch the video.

Masatoshi Ohno and Jérôme Guth visit Google to discuss how team sports fosters a sense of belonging, appreciation, and resilience. Masatoshi 'Mar' Ohno is a 3-time Japan Pro Surfing Association Grand Champion surfer who has made significant contributions to the Japanese surf industry. He holds the record for most consecutive wins in a single year, with 7 Golds in 2013. Mar has also been instrumental in promoting surfing in Japan, leading the national surf team to multiple victories and serving as the captain and coach at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. His dedication to the sport extends beyond competition, as he created the 'FunTheMental' surf festival and currently serves as Chairman of the S.League. Jérôme Guth is a French Maître d’Armes, specialized in Sabre, and is the Head Coach of the Japanese fencing Olympic team. Jérôme leads both the Women’s & the Men’s programs, which makes him the youngest coach in the World with this kind of responsibility. Under Jérôme’s leadership, the Japanese Women’s Sabre Team qualified for the first time in history for the Paris 2024 Olympics, later clinching a Bronze Medal at the Olympic Team Event. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ [https://youtu.be/VyxL__v7Ny4] to watch the video.

Jump start your new year with a dynamic, action-oriented, inspirational conversation with Mike Steib, who is now CEO of XO Group, now known as The Knot Worldwide.  During his time at Google, Mike created the “Career Manifesto” Google doc for his team.  This doc quickly went viral, inspiring many Googlers and young professionals beyond Google’s walls.  In this podcast, Mike brings the Career Manifesto to life through an engaging, insightful Talk geared toward early professionals who want to take control of their career path and make the most meaningful impact in their jobs in order to lead a more fulfilling life. Originally published in April of 2017. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNL1FFioqsE] to watch the video.

The cast & creatives from the Tony Award winning musical “The Outsiders” join us to perform a song and discuss the beloved story that defined a generation, reimagined as a groundbreaking new musical. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967, Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade, and their greaser family of ‘Outsiders’ battle with their affluent rivals, the Socs. “The Outsiders” navigates the complexities of self-discovery as the Greasers dream about who they want to become in a world that may never accept them. With a dynamic original score, “The Outsiders” is a story of friendship, family, belonging, and the realization that there is still “lots of good in the world.” Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ [https://youtu.be/OEG8XpoA03k] to watch the video.

David DeSteno visits Google to discuss his book “Emotional Success: The Power of Gratitude, Compassion, and Pride.” Grit, the ability to persevere against all odds, is often recognized as the key to success. But how can grit be cultivated and sustained? In this book, David DeSteno reveals that the most powerful tools we can draw upon to achieve our toughest goals are not willpower or self-denial, but our prosocial emotions—gratitude, compassion, and pride. This undervalued toolkit evolved specifically to help us resist immediate temptations in favor of long-term gains. DeSteno breaks down the long-overlooked mechanisms of perseverance built into our brains and shows how we can work with our emotions, instead of denying them, to achieve our goals. And he shows how we can do it with greater ease and deeper satisfaction than we would have thought possible. Originally published in February of 2018. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ [https://youtu.be/_VML4VmSlCc?si=Kbte9hIRcSJBXUy5] to watch the video.