Northwestern Commencement

Speech 2011

By Stephen Colbert

About Stephen Colbert

He is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, media critic, and television host

Named Time’s 100 most influential

people in 2006 and 2012

Winner of 9 Primetime Emmy

Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Peabody Awards

His work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's

series The Daily Show first made him famous

Colbert points out in the beginning that he was giving the address as "himself," and not as the commentator

he plays nightly on "The Colbert Report”

✓ ✗

Lessons from the speech

Importance of adaptation, change and collaboration

1. What if I have stupid dreams?

Thankfully dreams can change. If we'd all stuck with our first dream, the world would be overrun with cowboys and princesses

2. What if I don’t achieve my dream?

Whatever your dream is, if you don't achieve it, you haven't failed, and you're not some loser.

But just as importantly, if you do get your dream, you are not a winner

3. Life is an ImprovImprovisation is a form of live theatre in

which the plot, characters and dialogue are made up in the moment

Rules of Improv

You are not the most important person in

the scene. Everybody else is

And if they are the most important

people, you will pay attention to them and

serve them But, you're in the

scene too. So hopefully to them you're the most

important person, and they will serve you

4. You cannot win at lifeIn an improv, no one is leading, everyone is

following the follower, serving the servant. You cannot win improv.

And you can’t win at life.

5. You should serve othersWe should serve others, and together serve

some common goalExample: while working in groups a sure sign that things

are going well is when no one can really remember whose idea was whose, or who should get what credit

6. Who to serve?

You will truly serve only what you love,

because, service is love made visible

Example - If you love friends, you will serve your friends; if you love community, you will

serve your community

If you love only yourself, you will serve only yourself. And you will have only yourself.

But true satisfaction and success is born from selflessness

Try to love others and serve others, and hopefully you will find those who love and serve

you in return

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6tiaooiIo0

These slides were created by Shreysi Mehendiratta, IIM Lucknow, as part of a

MBA course "Personal Branding"

(www.MBASkills.IN) taught by Prof. Sameer

Mathur