By ourselves we can make a ripple in the pond and a difference in the world, but as TEDx legend Simon Sinek noted in his inspiring keynote at #Ulticonnect, "together we are remarkable." It is hard to disagree with that. The world's great landmarks were built with collective action, and our greatest adventures in the universe were made possible by humanity's collaborative genius across two millennia.
Since Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives are on the rise, Sinek's great stories about personal sacrifice and selflessness hit a chord with the sold out crowd. "It feels good when we do something nice for someone with no expectation of return," he reasoned. Most consumers would agree. This is why a commanding majority want the businesses they support to be actively involved with philanthropy, and will gladly recommend those with a CSR component to family and friends.
Sinek ended by encouraging the crowd to "Be the leader you wish you had". In other words, be the pioneer your industry needs, and the trailblazer your neighborhood or country has been waiting for. Indeed, Sinek's presentation was animated by the people, every day, who rise to be extraordinary, and, by the inspiring work of action-oriented visionaries like Scott Scherr, Zach Nelson, Arianna Huffington, Adam Rogers, Oprah Winfrey, Magic Johnson, and countless others who encourage us to be the best version of ourselves.
Afterwards, I caught up Simon Sinek to chat about the impact of TEDx Talks, his future plans, and the power of connections - online and off.
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Huge thanks to Heather Geronemus and Jarret Streiner for their help in putting this video together.