The Best of the LinkedIn Speaker Series to Inspire You in 2020

LinkedIn Speaker Series is one of our most beloved programs that supports our mission of helping professionals be more productive and successful. We host a wide range of the world's most influential experts to speak passionately about fresh ideas and advancements in their field.

If you’re looking for a spark of inspiration, I encourage you to check out a collection of the most popular speakers from our LinkedIn Speaker Series. This list is just so good, it goes to eleven  (hoping you get the reference!) :)

1. Clayton Christensen: How Will You Measure Your Life?

This is our most highly watched with almost 100,000 views! Professor Christensen joined us on InDay in 2012 to talk about his book, How Will You Measure Your Life?. He is also the author of the best-selling book, The Innovator's Dilemma, which outlines his disruptive innovation frameworks used by leading Fortune 100 companies like Intel. He passed away earlier this year and we were so lucky to have him as a guest in our Speaker Series.  

Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

2. Ariana Huffington: Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom and Wonder

We had the opportunity to hear from Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief, of the Huffington Post Media Group about her new definition of success. In her book, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder, she makes an impassioned and compelling case for the need to redefine what it means to be successful. Perhaps you will walk away inspired to look at your own life from this new lens!

Watch the video or listen to the podcast.  

3. Matthieu Ricard: Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World

LinkedIn’s CEO, Jeff Weiner, had an inspiring discussion with Buddhist monk, humanitarian activist, scientist, and author, Matthieu Ricard (The Monk and the Philosopher, Happiness) about how altruism, genuine concern for the well-being of others, could be the saving grace of the 21st century. He believes that altruism is the vital force that can solve the greatest challenges of our time - from a troubled economy, to decreased life satisfaction, to environmental problems. 

Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

4. Chade-Meng Tan: Joy On Demand: The Art of Discovering Happiness Within

Chade-Meng Tan (Meng), is a retired Jolly Good Fellow from Google (yes, that was actually his official job title!).  Meng’s book, Joy on Demand, was the long-awaited follow-up to the New York Times best-seller,Search Inside Yourself. He shares how to cultivate joy within the context of our fast-paced lives and explains why it is critical to creativity, innovation, confidence, and ultimately, success in every arena.

Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

5. Laird Hamilton & Gabrielle Reece: Liferider: Heart, Body, Soul, and Life Beyond the Ocean

LinkedIn Wellness Director Michael Susi sat down with international fitness icon, nutrition expert, and legendary big-wave surfer, Laird Hamilton, to discuss Laird’s take on human resilience, relationships, business, technology, risk-taking, and the importance of respecting the natural world ? all through the lens of his life  ? both in and beyond the ocean. In his book, Liferider, Laird uses five key pillars – Death & Fear, Heart, Body, Soul, and Everything is Connected – to illustrate his unique worldview and life practices, offering inspiration to anyone who wants to elevate their ordinary, landlocked life to do extraordinary things. The book is based on extensive interviews and conversations between Laird and his co-writer, Julian Borra, with additional insights from Laird’s wife, pro-volleyball player Gabby Reece, who joined us for this event as well.

Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

6. Andy Puddicombe: The Headspace Guide to Mindfulness and Meditation

Andy Puddicombe, founder of Headspace, joined LinkedIn’s CEO Jeff Weiner for a fascinating discussion around the power of mindfulness and meditation. Headspace was founded by Andy, a former Buddhist monk, and Rich Pierson, a creative developer. After 10 years of meditation training around the world, culminating in full ordination at a Tibetan Monastery, Andy returned to the UK with a clear aim: to make meditation accessible, relevant, and beneficial for as many people as possible. In partnership with Rich, this aim was realized through the creation of Headspace.

Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

7. Scout Bassett -“The only person that's going to have power over me, is me.”

Want to be truly inspired?  Listen to Scout Bassett - Paralympian, Nike Athlete, and Challenged Athletes Foundation Spokesperson - speak about her transformational journey.  As an infant, a fire took away her right leg from above the knee down. She was found abandoned on the streets of Nanjing, China, and taken to the government orphanage. Inside these isolating walls, she lived in extremely harsh conditions and endured several heart-wrenching years of trauma and anguish. Today, Scout is a competitive U.S. Paralympic track sprinter who represented Team USA at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. In addition to helping other challenged athletes pursue their dreams, she is rigorously training to be an elite athlete. “We all have different challenges: some external, some internal,” said Scout. “But, it’s not how we start, it’s how we finish that counts.”

Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

8. Neil Pasricha: The Happiness Equation: Want Nothing + Do Anything = Have Everything

We were pleased to welcome Neil Pasricha to our New York office to share recent breakthroughs in the study of happiness and inspire us to hit our full potential.  A Harvard MBA, New York Times - bestselling author, award-winning blogger, and one of the most popular TED speakers in the world, Pasricha is “a pied piper of happiness” (The Star) who dazzles audiences with ideas and frameworks that launch happiness into the stratosphere. With infectious enthusiasm, heartfelt authenticity, and a “what’s worked” authority, Pasricha will challenge you to elevate expectations of yourself and commit to the habit of happiness every day. He is best known for his The Book of Awesome series and The Happiness Equation which are international bestsellers.

Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

9. Zainab Salbi: Freedom is an Inside Job: Owning Our Darkness and Our Light to Heal the World

Join LinkedIn's Vice President of Global Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, Rosanna Durruthy, and Zainab Salbi, author, humanitarian, activist, and TV personality to learn about Zainab’s latest book, Freedom is an Inside Job: Owning Our Darkness and Our Light to Heal Ourselves and the World. Her book explores the meaning of living authentically in the world while being true to ourselves and our values.  Through her own stories and experiences, Zainab takes us through a process of self-discovery: how to uncover our hidden motives and desires so we can live in alignment with our authentic values. “As long as we are conflicted within, we will continue to live in conflict without,” writes Zainab.

Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

10. Fred Kofman: The Meaning Revolution: Leading with the Power of Purpose

LinkedIn’s Co-Founder, Reid Hoffman sat down with Fred Kofman, Advisor on Leadership Development, to learn more about Fred’s new book, The Meaning Revolution. Bringing together economics and business theory, communications and conflict resolution, family counseling and mindfulness meditation, Kofman argues that our most deep-seated, unspoken, and universal anxiety stems from our fear that our life is being wasted - that the end of life will overtake us when our song is still unsung. Material incentives like salary and benefits only drive a small portion of employees’ motivation. What really drives engagement is the meaning, a feeling that what we do day in and day out makes a difference, that how we spend our time on earth serves a larger purpose beyond just ourselves.

Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

11. Simon Sinek: The Infinite Game

Best known for popularizing the concept of Why, Simon Sinek’s TED Talk is one of the most watched TED talks of all-time, hitting 37+ million views. Sinek is also the author of multiple NYT best-selling books, Start with Why and Leaders Eat Last  ? acclaimed for helping organizations around the world inspire their leaders to reach new heights. Join LinkedIn Editor in Chief, Dan Roth as he chatted with Sinek about the themes of his latest and greatest, The Infinite Game, that largely focuses on how adopting an infinite mindset is necessary for leaders who want to build stronger, more innovative and more inspiring organizations.

Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

But wait, there's more! If you are interested in hearing from other great speakers, be sure to check out speakers.linkedin.com or our podcast channel.