VP at Google Inc.
Commencement speech at N/A, N/A
Marissa Mayer, a distinguished business professional, Formerly the CEO of Yahoo! and an executive at Google has left an indelible mark in the tech industry. Mayer's career has been marked by her leadership and innovation. Her contributions to the world of technology and business have made her a noteworthy figure in the field, underscoring the power of female leadership and the ever-evolving nature of the digital landscape.
10 top life lessons by Marissa Mayer
- Discover Your Passion: Identify what truly excites and motivates you. Authenticity, keen observation, and maximizing opportunities contribute to finding your passion.
- Surround Yourself with Smart Minds: Seek out and associate with intelligent individuals who challenge your thinking. Embrace criticism as a tool for personal growth and elevation of your intellectual capacity.
- Choose Allies over Adorers: Opt for relationships with honest allies who challenge you to reach your potential. Unlike adorers, allies provide constructive feedback, fostering continuous improvement.
- Embrace Uncomfortable Challenges: Have the courage to undertake tasks beyond your comfort zone. Marissa’s examples highlight the value of pushing through discomfort, leading to self-discovery and personal growth.
- Find Comfortable Spaces: Identify environments where you feel at ease. Passion acts as a powerful antidote to fear, creating a neutral and empowering atmosphere, as exemplified by Marissa’s comfort at Google.
- Be an Information Fountain: Share knowledge generously. The power of information-sharing fosters connections, collaboration, and ultimately drives creativity and innovation.
Best quotes of Marissa Mayer‘s speech
"Passion becomes an amazing neutralizing force for the fear or uneasiness one might usually feel."Video of Marissa Mayer‘s Commencement speech at N/A
Commencement speech transcript
This speech grows stronger by the minute. Towards the end of the speech, she has the courage to admit she is very shy which is, of course, surprising and inspiring at the same time. Her words of advice:
1. Find something that you are really passionate about.
This gives you a strong sense of purpose and it is a big part of happiness. To do that, you need to be honest with yourself, observant, and make the most out of a situation.
2. Find the smartest people you can and surround yourself with them.
You will be challenged to do your best and they would elevate your thinking. Smart people will challenge you to think harder and in entirely different ways. Search criticism to become a better self.
3. Find allies rather than adorers.
You can choose to surround yourself with adorers who are easy to be around but never tell you when you screw up. Instead, seek out allies who are honest with you when you feel you are not living up to your potential; people who challenge you to be the best you can be.
4. Find the courage to do things you are not ready to do.
Marissa lists as examples four things that she was not ready for (the move from WI to go to college 2,000 miles away, choosing a major that few people would know what it means, going to Switzerland for summer and, in 99, choosing to work for a start-up with 8 employees and a ridiculous name). Doing something you are not ready to do isn’t comfortable. But in pushing through this discomfort you will learn a lot more about yourself. You learn you can do something you did not think you could do, or you’ll learn where you’re limits are. Either is valuable. It’s important to push through that uneasiness because that’s how you really grow and you really reach.
5. Find places where you’re comfortable.
Marissa feels in her element at Google surrounded by people who are just like her and who share the same interests. Passion becomes an amazing neutralizing force for the fear or uneasiness one might usually feel.
6. You can help others find things. Be an information fountain.
Power comes from sharing information. Sharing leads to connection, connection leads to collaboration, collaboration leads to creativity and innovation.
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Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL
May 16th, 2009