This past summer, I had the honor and privilege of representing my Duke University - Fuqua School of Business Global Executive MBA cohort as class speaker during our commencement ceremony.
The inspiration behind the presentation was the concept of being Leaders of Consequence, and the challenges faced with ever-increasing scrutiny of our public and private lives. We live in an era of unprecedented transparency and personal accountability. The technological advances that make our lives easier - social media, virtual assistants, smart phones, you name it... - come with a significant toll on privacy. It is now more critical than at any other point in our history to always portray ourselves in a manner befitting our character and aspirations.
Here's an excerpt (a video link to the speech I gave is at the bottom of this post):
Reputation is something with which we see many people struggle today – just turn on any news program and, sooner or later, you hear about some person, revered up until this point in time, who was just discovered to have done something completely out of character and inexcusable in polite society.
But, are these actions truly out of character? Each of these people appear to intentionally live two very different lives: one public, one private, and never the twain shall meet – they were wrong. No one is safe from the consequences of their own actions. And no one should be. Your reputation will both precede and follow you.
I was given a piece of advice by a good friend (who happened to be my boss at the time) upon being promoted into my first role as a leader of others – he told me to always be aware of what I said and how I acted, because people would now always be watching and would use my actions as a gauge for their own as they each aspire to bigger roles on their own career paths. He said “You’re on stage now, all the time,” and that actually rings true for everyone today.
Greatness is in each of us. Drawing that out requires honesty, integrity, compassion, dedication, and a commitment to moral character. Always be the person you want your kids to be - that makes the world a better place for all of us.
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