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.

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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.

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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.

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