Excellence comes from doing what you do best -- but you need to make sure you're doing it at the right times. (Audio only)

Your customers probably aren't paying you what you're worth -- instead, they're paying you what they think you're worth. Take the time to learn how to shape their thinking. Pricing consultant Casey Brown shares helpful stories and learnings that can help you better communicate your value and get paid for your excellence.

As we age, we often feel like the clock starts ticking on our careers. But there are ways to sustain -- and even gain -- excellence over time. Meet a musician whose career ended too soon, and an entrepreneur and a social media star who defied the stereotypes on professional decline. They illuminate steps that fuel great second and third acts. (A...

Thousands of years in the making, the Olympics began as part of a religious festival honoring the Greek god Zeus in the rural Greek town of Olympia. But how did it become the greatest show of sporting excellence on earth? Educator Armand D'Angour explains the evolution of the Olympics. (Directed by Diogo Viegas, narrated by Addison Anderson, mus...

Kakenya Ntaiya turned her dream of getting an education into a movement to empower vulnerable girls and bring an end to harmful traditional practices in Kenya. Meet two students at the Kakenya Center for Excellence, a school where girls can live and study safely -- and uplift their community along the way. "When you empower a girl, you transform...

Perfectionism is on the rise -- and not just in job interviews when people claim it's their greatest weakness. But the desire to be flawless is not always productive or healthy. As a recovering perfectionist, organizational psychologist Adam Grant dives into how he managed to abandon the quest for 10s while holding onto his drive for excellence....

Tuesday, October 19, 2021 Adam Grant (AG): Hey WorkLifers, it’s Adam Grant. Welcome back to Taken for Granted, my podcast with the TED Audio Collective. I’m an organizational psychologist, and this series is about rethinking assumptions we often take for granted about how we work, lead, and live. Today’s guest is one of Time’s most influential ...

Casey Brown wants people to be paid well for their excellence.

Melissa Walker helps military service members recover from traumatic brain injury and mental illness.

Election infrastructure in the United States is crumbling, says technologist Tiana Epps-Johnson, and, even worse, election officials are increasingly being attacked simply for doing their jobs. How can the country rebuild trust in its local and national elections? Epps-Johnson describes how the US Alliance for Election Excellence, a nonpartisan ...

Alan Smith uses interactive graphics and statistics to breathe new life into how data is presented.

An elite NFL quarterback, entrepreneur and community leader, Russell Wilson is dedicated to excellence.

Mark Applebaum has built an instrument out of doorstops and combs, as well as composed a piece of music to be performed by a florist.

Jon Bergmann co-wrote the book on the "flipped classroom" -- using video to help students master new ideas outside the traditional class setting.

BCG's Angela Wang works with a broad range of clients in China on strategy formulation, business development and operational excellence.

Aparna Bharadwaj seeks to understand consumers' authentic selves -- how they feel, think and make decisions.

Aparna Hegde founded ARMMAN, an organization leveraging technology to improve the health of women and children in India.

Parul Sehgal is an editor for "The New York Times Book Review."

Rebecca Onie is a nationally recognized leader in the intersection of social determinants, population health and health care delivery

James Patten, a TED Fellow, imagines new ways for us to play with computers.

Paul Jones is founder of Tudor Investment Corporation and an active philanthropist.

Mennat El Ghalid research aims to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying fungal biology and pathogenicity.

Sougwen 愫君 Chung is an artist and researcher whose work explores the dynamics between humans and systems.

Sue Natali studies permafrost thaw and works to limit global harm from Arctic warming.

Leland Melvin is an engineer, educator, former NASA astronaut and NFL wide receiver. He shares his stories of perseverance and excellence to inspire communities for lasting positive change.

Soft cars, jet packs and houses made of meat are all in a day's work for urban designer, architect and TED Fellow Mitchell Joachim.

Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad leads the development of better, more ethical digital policies and standards at the Norwegian Consumer Council.

An author and illustrator of many children's books and graphic novels, Jarrett J. Krosoczka creates stories with humor, heart and deep respect for young readers.