One of my early posts on the Leadership and Community Blog covered the first TEDxTC event.  This last week they held their second event and it was as good or even better then the first.  A true sign of an outstanding event is when people stay around afterword to talk with each other and share ideas.  In the case of TEDxTC the main event, which was attended by almost 500 people, concluded around 9:00 pm and my guess is that there were still about 100 people talking when I left at 10:45 pm – A True Success!

This illustrated to me that people in our community are looking for any opportunity to share ideas and just talk with others about changes each of us can do to make a difference.  The entire theme of TED is to get the word out on “Ideas Worth Spreading”.

Each and every one of us has a unique story which we must start spending more time telling.  We need to share with each other the ideas we have seen that work and ask questions on those areas we want to learn more about.  Too often we feel like we can’t do anything until we have the perfect answer.  The reality is if we wait for the perfect answer we most likely will never move.

The key to our ongoing success is to keep making incremental change and learn from it instead of never moving because we are looking for the silver bullet that doesn’t exist.  Many of the most complex problems are interrelated with countless other issues in such a way there is no way to decide up front which is the first lever we should pull.

The key call to action of this post is to go out, tell your story and share your thoughts on something you have been thinking about.  This act seems so basic but it is what truly brings about change because more people are learning of the idea and also helping you refine it along the way.  Keep watch for these opportunities to share your story, experiences and ideas with as many people as you can.  Remember Margaret Mead’s quote which is as relevant today as it was when she first said it  – ”A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

TED is a well known conference that has been going on for years that showcases riveting talks by remarkable people who have ideas worth spreading.  The premier TED event happens annually and is limited to a very small set of individuals but the talks themselves are all available free on the TED website.  TEDxTC is an independently organized local TED event.

TEDxTC demonstrated superbly what community is all about.  The speakers each had relevant information to share and an idea they felt was worth spreading.  The event consisted of five speakers; three live and two videos from the actual TED conference.  Following the speakers a reception was held where everyone could meet each other and talk about the topics presented.  A shining example of any event’s success can be seen by how long people stay after the main feature is done.  In the case of TEDxTC, the crowd was still deep in conversation when I left an hour and a half after the final speaker wrapped up.  It is these community discussion where people from different occupations and with different passions come together to learn something new and then create relationships that will ultimately take some in entirely new directions.

Although the number of individuals who could attend this event live was limited you can read about the speakers and in the case of the TED videos see them for yourself.  My hope is that the three local speakers were videotaped and that their videos will be added to the TEDxTC website so that everyone can benefit from them and help continue spreading their great ideas.

Congratulations to Chadburn Blomquist and the other organizers for putting on an amazing event.  I strongly encourage everyone to watch for the next TEDxTC event and register immediately because I have no doubt that one will also fill up quickly.

Live Speakers:

Dan Buettner – Blue Zones

Ed Driscoll – Alternative Energy

Matthew Sanford – Waking Mind & Body

TED Videos:

Benjamin Zander – Everyone loves Classical Music!

Jill Bolte Taylor – Surviving a Stroke and the sense of Nirvana

I am very excited to have the opportunity to share with you some of my thoughts and join a group of individuals who are already leaders in the Twin Cities community.  I have spent the last five years focused on getting involved in the Twin Cities and along the way have made some great friends and built lifelong relationships.  The Twin Cities is an outstanding community to get involved with and truly make a difference.  I encourage everyone to be involved in some way.  That involvement will be different for each and every one of you but that is what makes this community great.  The more different areas we are involved with, the more ideas and experiences we can learn from and share.  That is the genesis of this blog — we each come with different experiences and interests but can learn from each other and share our thoughts with all of you.  Our hope is that it will spark an interest and discussion which ultimately leads you to take action and encourage others to get involved, share ideas and make a difference.

As I am sure will become clear in my future posts, I have a huge passion for getting others involved in our community.  This passion has been built as I have come to see the impact each and every one of us have on this community.  Most of the time we will never know the full extent of our impact, but every once in a while we get a glimpse of it and that makes every minute we spend in the community worthwhile.

One of the hardest things for me was the first step of trying to figure out where to start.  Please visit my personal website (http://www.timhuebsch.com) where I have listed some of the best organizations I have found to get started in the Twin Cities community.

As we come up upon Labor Day and move into the fall season, it is a great time to see where you might try a new experience in the community or reach out to meet a new employee and tell them about an upcoming event in the community.

A standard feature of my column will be a list of upcoming events that I plan on attending.  I hope some of you will choose to join me and I look forward to giving a recap on some of the very best events on this blog.

Featured Upcoming Events:

TEDxTC

Wednesday, September 2nd – 6:30 @ Science Museum of Minnesota (Event Sold Out)
In the spirit of the TED Conference, experience amazing people from the Twin Cities, sharing with you their ‘idea worth spreading’.  TEDxTC celebrates the vision, work and leadership of folks from our own back yard.

Summit on Leading in Crisis host by Bill George

Thursday, September 17th – 5:30 @ Ted Mann Concert Hall – University of Minnesota (FREE Admission)
Join Bill George, former Medtronic CEO, Best-selling author and Harvard Business School Professor, as he moderates a discussion of personal stories from the trenches on leading in a crisis.  Panelists include some of the biggest names in business including:  John Donahoe, Chair & CEO – eBay; Ann Mulcahy, Chair & former CEO – Xerox; Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chair & former CEO – Carlson Companies; and David Gergen, Director of the Center for Public Leadership – Harvard University.