TimCookaddressesTulaneUniversitygraduatesatCommencement2019atMercedes-BenzSuperdomeonMay18,2019inNewOrleans,Louisiana.JoshBrasted/GettyImages
OnSaturday,AppleCEOTimCook,whowasrecentlyacclaimedasanevenbetterleaderthanthelegendarySteveJobs,carvedoutamorningfromhisverybusyscheduletodeliveracommencementspeechforthe2019graduatesofTulaneUniversityinNewOrleans.
BackinFebruary,whenTulaneconfirmedCookasitscommencementspeakerforthisyear,theuniversity’spresidentMikeFittstoutedthattheAppleCEO,whoenjoysthereputationasoneoftheworld’smostworkaholicbosses,“representsthekindofsuccesswehopeallofourgraduatescanattain.”
ButassoonasCooksteppeduptothepodiumonSaturday,hismessagetoTulane’sgraduatesbecametheveryoppositeofwhatwasexpectedofhim—insteadofpresentinghimselfasarolemodelfortheyounggraduatesintheaudience,Cookencouragedthemtochallengeoldergenerations’successesandtofindtheirown.