Videos
University of Texas, Austin Commencement Speech - 2014
This video is more than 10 years old now but the lessons it provides are timeless. Admiral William McRaven delivers the Commencement Address at the 2014 University of Texas Austin graduation The content here has been pulled to make hundreds of new motivational videos and it even spurred a book. Content of the speech is not the reason we're highlighting this video. Here are some take-aways that you may not have seen when you watched it 11 years ago:
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Admiral McRaven did not memorize his speech. While we haven't interviewed him directly, we can assume he spent a considerable amount of time writing, preparing, rehearsing and editing his speech. That didn't mean he had to have it memorized, and the reliance on notes may be part of what makes it so authentic.
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He started with a funny, and relatable story. His career warrants respect and deference and yet, he takes the opportunity to let the audience know, he too was once a college student with a hang over. It's both endearing and empowering in one breath.
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There is a gigantic wooden podium between the Admiral and the audience. In more trainings than we can count, a podium is seen as a crutch and a barrier between you and the audience you're trying to connect with. Yet, he stands there, gripping the sides of the podium and he never moves out from behind it. It is his content and his delivery that connects him with the audience.
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Finally, the United States military trains incredible public speakers. Oddly, they don't have a singular course that teaches their officers to be this good which leads us to believe that it is the dedication to the smallest tasks that make the final presentation so well-rounded. As he says, start by making your bed.