Apple CEO Tim Cook urged new graduates to take after Steve Jobs, his predecessor, mentor and friend, and use their values to guide them to "change the world."
In a 20-minute long commencement speech addressed to the graduating class of George Washington University in Washington D.C., Cook urged around 600 graduates to follow their North Star, what he calls their moral compass, to improve their lives and the lives of others. The young, Cook said, do not have to make the choice between "doing good and doing well."
"The sidelines are not where you want to live your life," he said. "The world needs you in the arena. There are problems that need to be solved, injustices that need to be ended, people that are still being persecuted, diseases still in need of cure. No matter what you do next, the world needs your energy, your passion, your impatience. Don't shrink from risk."
As a staunch civil rights supporter, Cook wove stories of his growing up years in Alabama, where, in 1977, he met and shook hands with the segregationist Governor George Wallace, which he said was "like a betrayal of my own beliefs," and Jimmy Carter, whom Cook described as "kind and compassionate."
His speech also drew on a lot from his experience working with Steve Jobs, who Cook said turned around his assumptions about work. Before joining Apple, Cook put his work life in one box and his personal life in another. Those two things just didn't fit well together. Meeting Jobs upended those beliefs and, Cook said, he realized work should be used for good causes.
"At Apple, we believe the work should be more than about improving your own self; it's about improving others' lives as well. We believe that a company with values and acts on them really change[s] the world," he said, beseeching graduates to "find a job that pays the rent, puts food on the table and lets you do what is right and good and just."
Despite the seriousness of his message, Cook also managed to elicit a few appreciative laughs from the audience when, at the beginning of his speech, he said he had to make the announcement requested of him to ask the audience to turn their phones to silent mode.
"Those of you with an iPhone, just place it in silent mode. And those of you who don't have an iPhone, please pass it to the center aisle," he joked. "Apple has a world-class recycling program."
Cook's speech is reminiscent of Jobs' own unforgettable commencement address he delivered [video] in 2005 to the graduates of Stanford University, where he urged them to "stay hungry, stay foolish."
