Drew Dudley, the Founder of Day One Leadership, created one of the most powerful, inspiring Ted Talk’s I have ever seen. He immediately begins by asking the simple question “How many of you are completely comfortable calling yourselves a leader?” The number of people who did not raise their hands because they did not think of themselves as a leader was astonishing.
I will be honest, before watching the Ted Talk and hearing Drew Dudley explain the characteristics of a leader, I would have never raised my hand to that question either. But now, after I have watched the Ted Talk countless times, shed tears because of its power, and learned to recognize my leadership characteristics, I feel comfortable calling myself a leader.
Drew Dudley shares his story of the impact he had on a college student’s life without even knowing it. On the first day of college, he approached two first year students, one male and one female. He gave a lollipop to the male and instructed him to share it with the female next to him, stating, “You need to give a lollipop to the beautiful woman standing next to you.”
Reluctantly and uncomfortably, the female accepted the lollipop from the male and Drew Dudley moved on with his day. A few years later, the female that was on the receiving end of the lollipop approached Drew Dudley. She explained to him the significance that moment had on her challenging life as a first year student, explaining, “I knew that I shouldn’t quit. I knew I was where I was supposed to be. And I knew that I was home.”
To everyone else’s surprise, and his own, Drew Dudley reveals in the Ted Talk the craziest part of all, he does not remember that happening. He was astounded by the impact his actions had on the first year student, recognizing that his simple action made her feel confident, comfortable, and as if she had found her home.
As she was saying goodbye to Drew Dudley that day, she revealed that nearly four years later, she was dating that first year male that gave her the lollipop. “Maybe the biggest impact I had ever had on anyone’s life … was a moment I did not even remember,” Drew Dudley explains in the Ted Talk.
I have been re-introduced to this Ted Talk on multiple occasions. Every time I hear Drew Dudley’s story, I get chills. As a leader, the impact you have on others is unpredictable, uplifting, and encouraging. Drew Dudley’s action was unpredictable, the bond he created between two first year students was uplifting, and his story is encouraging.
Drew Dudley concludes his Ted Talk by asking the audience about their own lollipop moments, posing the question, “How many of you guys have a lollipop moment, a moment where someone said something or did something that you feel fundamentally made your life better?” Lollipop moments are unforgettable, as they do change your lives forever.
I strongly encourage you to learn more about lollipop moments and the effects they have by watching Drew Dudley’s Ted Talk.
