MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH
It was halftime during one of my 7th grade football games. And we were losing 14 - 0. With our knees planted in the grass, my team was quietly huddled, drenched in sweat and defeat. We all knew the game was over.
That’s when our assistant coach bursted through our circle and shattered our pity party, delivering one of the best motivational speeches I’ve heard to this day.
I can’t directly quote him because he said some things that are inappropriate for a blog post (and, in hindsight, probably for a bunch of 13-year-olds too). But the point is, he harnessed the power of words to rejuvenate a physically and emotionally drained team. And we came back clawing to win the game.
Click here to download leadership lessons from HubSpot founder, Dharmesh Shah.
meeting to Just like in sports, being motivated at work is crucial for your performance. This rings especially true when you have a looming deadline, an important meeting, or colleagues or customers depending on your performance.
To help you stay motivated, no matter what your job throws at you, we decided to compile 22 of the best motivational speeches from business, sports, entertainment, and more. If you want to get fired up for a project, watch these videos. Trust me, I was ready to write a 5,000 word blog post after I saw them. And while the messages vary from speech to speech, they will put you in the optimal frame of mind for tackling and crushing your next big challenge.
J.K. Rowling: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” (2008)
David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (2005)
Brené Brown: "The Power of Vulnerability" (2013)
Al Pacino: "Inch by Inch" (1999)
Steve Jobs: "How to Live Before You Die" (2005)
Ellen DeGeneres: Tulane University Commencement Speech (2009)
Will Smith: Speech from The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Sheryl Sandberg: Harvard Business School Class Day Speech (2012)
Dan Pink: "The Puzzle of Motivation" (2009)
Denzel Washington: "Fall Forward" (2011)
Sylvester Stallone: Speech from Rocky Balboa (2006)
Elizabeth Gilbert: "Your Elusive Creative Genius" (2009)
Charlie Day: Merrimack College Commencement Speech (2014)
Frank Oz/Yoda: Speech from The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
William Wallace: Speech From the Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297)
Orlando Scampington: "The Pillars of C.L.A.M." (2015)
Kurt Russell: “This is Your Time” (2004)
Jim Valvano: ESPY Speech (1993)
Mel Gibson: “The Valley of the Shadow of Death” (2002)
Kal Penn: DePauw University Commencement Speech (2014)
Charles Dutton: Speech from Rudy (1993)
Vera Jones: “But the Blind Can Lead the Blind…” (2016)
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/best-motivational-speeches