Creating The Best Commencement Speech Ever

Commencement Season is fast approaching and I am honored to have been selected to deliver the address at North Carolina State University in May.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember who my commencement speaker was or what he or she had to say! During my years at MIT and Duke, Commencement was … Continue reading Creating The Best Commencement Speech Ever

Life is Short

Steve Jobs will long be remembered for his entrepreneurial savvy, design intelligence, high standards, and ability to predict the future.  The Wall Street Journal called him “the secular prophet.”  I will remember him also as Steve Jobs the philosopher.  His 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford is among the best I have heard or read—and I … Continue reading Life is Short

Thoughts on Leadership

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates delivered this year’s Commencement Address at the U.S. Naval Academy.  In it he reflected on his 46 years of public service—Air Force, CIA, White House, and Pentagon, serving under eight presidents.  He states, “From this experience I have learned that real leadership is a rare and precious commodity, and … Continue reading Thoughts on Leadership