What I Said: St. Joseph’s University on February 28, 2021

I had the chance to speak to students at St. Joseph’s University yesterday (virtually). I addressed the newest members of their Greek community on the outset of their journey, challenging them to begin making decisions now that will allow them to create organizations of excellence for years to come.

You can download my full slide deck and discussion questions here. The following are some highlights from my presentation.

Excellence doesn’t happen by accident (neither does failure). Rather, it is the result of consistent choices made over a long period of time.

Your success as an organization is directly proportional to your willingness to make tough decisions.

Excellent organizations follow a purpose, not a person.

Hard conversations are those that reveal the truth. And sometimes, those conversations may only be one word long: “Stop.”

COVID-19 will have long lasting impacts on every organization and company - much longer than we realize. The question, then, is what we do with this pandemic. It will either make our organization weaker or stronger (it will not allow it to stay the same). The choice is entirely ours.

A choice of non-excellence is a choice of non-existence.