For many years now, the TED talk has been growing in popularity as a great way of spreading ideas and learning. Here’s our top six must-watch TED talks for businesses aiming to scale up.

1. Pete Bell – Why scaling up always hurts

In one of the most relevant TED talks for businesses that are scaling up, Bell describes the stages of ‘doubling’ as start-ups scale for growth. Whether it’s employee numbers, revenue or lines of code, there’s very little else in life that prepares us for the kind of growth seen in successful start-ups. The lesson? Every time you double, something breaks.

2. Simon Sinek – How great leaders inspire action

In his now-famous talk back in 2009, Sinek describes the importance for all companies and brands to define the ‘why’ of their existence. In one of the most influential TED talks for businesses and brands, Sinek explains that buyers, employees and the public will buy into why you do something, not what you do.

3. Roselinde Torres – What it takes to be great leader

Torres looks at what the best leaders are doing differently, and why gaps in leadership are still growing. Her TED talk focuses on defining a new kind of leadership and leaving behind the current outdated methods used. It’s one of the best TED talks for businesses looking to improve leadership.

4. Seth Godin – How to get your ideas to spread

In his TED talk, communications guru and prolific author Seth Godin looks at how great ideas spread and how, in a world of too many options and too little time, our obvious choice is to just ignore the ordinary stuff.

5. Bill Gross – Why start-ups succeed

Serial entrepreneur and investor, Gross looks at the common themes that enable start-ups to become great successes. This TED talk reveals surprising information about the key ingredients to start-up success.

6. Margaret Heffernan – Dare to disagree

Heffernan, a management thinker and former CEO of five companies, shares her thoughts around how organisations think. This outstanding TED talk will show you how to avoid the all too common themes of conflict avoidance and selective blindness that lead organizations and managers astray.