Simon's "Why"
Simon's "Why"
Transcript
So I'm inspired-- my "why" is to inspire people to do the things that inspire them, so that, together, each of us can change our worlds for the better. And I have a vision of the world that does not yet exist, that I've committed myself to help build, which is, I imagine a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe when they're at work, and return home fulfilled at the end of the day.
And I know that that world will only exist if we are able to find and build the leaders that can actually build that world. So I've committed myself and my professional life to finding and building those leaders. Because I can't do it alone. It's going to take a lot of us. And each of us has a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. And if you consider that-- you know how you do a jigsaw puzzle, you lay all the pieces out, and the first thing you do is you lean the box against the wall. And then you follow the picture, right? And so each of us has a piece of the puzzle to play, to build this better version of the world. You have to know what your piece is, that's your "why."
Mine? I'm the guy that points at the box. I'm the guy that's reminding people, hey, that's what we're building, that's what we're building. Don't forget. Don't get bogged down in looking for blue, just remember that the blue serves a higher purpose. It's over here, it's sky. I'm the guy that-- that's my piece of the puzzle, I'm the box pointer. But I'm not the guy who puts the pieces in place.
So I look for people who are the people who put the pieces in place. Those are the leaders who actually lead real organizations, big organizations, small organizations, lead teams. I need-- we need to do this together. So you have to understand your piece of the puzzle. And I'm inspired by people who sacrifice for something bigger than themselves. So I'm naturally drawn to people in military. But I'm equally drawn to artists, who, like the military, they're not doing it for the money. They're not doing it for the fame. The ones that do, we don't like them much.
There are people the military who want power and they are driven by the promotion, and we wouldn't follow them. Some of them are successful, in the rank structure, and some of them aren't, but we don't trust them. So I'm inspired by people who view the nobility of service, who view the nobility of contribution. Who show up to make whatever it is they're doing better than when they found it.
I hope that I get remembered for contributing to that momentum. I don't-- I'm not so foolhardy to believe that that vision of the world that I have will be achieved in my lifetime, or ever, but I want to die with the confidence that we're heading in the right direction, despite all the stumbles and roadblocks. And that others-- there's enough of an army that has joined me that the work will continue with or without me.
And I know that that world will only exist if we are able to find and build the leaders that can actually build that world. So I've committed myself and my professional life to finding and building those leaders. Because I can't do it alone. It's going to take a lot of us. And each of us has a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. And if you consider that-- you know how you do a jigsaw puzzle, you lay all the pieces out, and the first thing you do is you lean the box against the wall. And then you follow the picture, right? And so each of us has a piece of the puzzle to play, to build this better version of the world. You have to know what your piece is, that's your "why."
Mine? I'm the guy that points at the box. I'm the guy that's reminding people, hey, that's what we're building, that's what we're building. Don't forget. Don't get bogged down in looking for blue, just remember that the blue serves a higher purpose. It's over here, it's sky. I'm the guy that-- that's my piece of the puzzle, I'm the box pointer. But I'm not the guy who puts the pieces in place.
So I look for people who are the people who put the pieces in place. Those are the leaders who actually lead real organizations, big organizations, small organizations, lead teams. I need-- we need to do this together. So you have to understand your piece of the puzzle. And I'm inspired by people who sacrifice for something bigger than themselves. So I'm naturally drawn to people in military. But I'm equally drawn to artists, who, like the military, they're not doing it for the money. They're not doing it for the fame. The ones that do, we don't like them much.
There are people the military who want power and they are driven by the promotion, and we wouldn't follow them. Some of them are successful, in the rank structure, and some of them aren't, but we don't trust them. So I'm inspired by people who view the nobility of service, who view the nobility of contribution. Who show up to make whatever it is they're doing better than when they found it.
I hope that I get remembered for contributing to that momentum. I don't-- I'm not so foolhardy to believe that that vision of the world that I have will be achieved in my lifetime, or ever, but I want to die with the confidence that we're heading in the right direction, despite all the stumbles and roadblocks. And that others-- there's enough of an army that has joined me that the work will continue with or without me.