British war veteran Jon White teaches us that success means constant growth and evolution, and that while we massively underestimate our capacities, so we should always strive to keep going, whatever the odds. After surviving war in Afghanistan and building a successful life, his newest project is a book. He aims to interview a wide range of leaders, to show that even the greatest of us are still human, with vulnerabilities and prone to mistakes, but they have had a shift in motivation during their careers: their motivation has shifted from themselves to the people they work for. His talk is a lesson in both human potential and forgiveness, as holding anger is drawing our energy away from more important things. We must forgive ourselves in order to live a life that is meaningful to us.

Jon White was an Officer in the British Royal Marines when he sustained apparently devastating injuries in Afghanistan. His journey over the last 5 years has seen physical recovery, the starting of a family, the building of a “Grand Designs” house and the starting of a new career.

He now seeks to help Leaders world wide find the inspiration and confidence to lead with more focus on their people. His story shows how strong the human spirit can be and what we are all capable of, for Jon is by his own admission “A normal guy in an Abnormal Situation”.


This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx