Justin Simon

In September 2007, Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch walked onto a stage and delivered what became known as The Last Lecture. Pausch had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He had months to live. Faced with that reality, he could have spent his remaining time asking why, but instead he spent it teaching. Here are some key points from his now famous lecture that are good reminders for leaders across industries. 1. Control what you can. "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand,” he said. 2. Manage time like it matters. "The key question to keep asking is, are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have, and you may find one day that you have less than you think,” he said. “Time must be explicitly managed like money.” 3. Believe in people before they believe in themselves. "Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you,” he said. “Focus on others, not on yourself… When we’re connected to others, we become better people.” Through all of it, as he faced death right in the face, Pausch returned to gratitude. "Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other,” he said. Recognition costs nothing, and appreciation takes seconds. But both have longer half-lives than most leaders realize. Pausch also knew where his energy was going, which is why he had little patience for self-pity or complaint. "Don't complain, just work harder,” he said. “Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier. Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity." That is a harder ask than it sounds, especially when the hand is bad. But Pausch modeled it from a stage in front of hundreds of people, months from the end of his life, without a trace of bitterness. Perhaps that was the lasting lecture.