Monday I had the opportunity to attend the amazing Origins Symposium at Arizona State University. It was quite stunning to see that even in the midst of economic crisis, big, bold thinking goes on and big, bold visions are being turned into reality. Check out this video with an eye to these three examples of leadership in action:

First is ASU professor Lawrence Krauss, a cosmologist and theoretical physicist who conceptualized the symposium and provided the organizing energy behind it. Second is ASU president Michael Crow discussing his vision for the university of the future. Third but not at all least, you’ll see a speech by the renowned theoretical physicist and author of one of the most popular science books ever written, A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking. The speech had to be delivered via video from his hospital room because he was too ill to attend the symposium. The space science he discusses is intriguing of course. But in the context of leadership, Hawking’s courage, persistence, and indomitable commitment to use the faculties he has rather than being defined by his disabilities offer the most powerful lessons.

The full video archive can be viewed here.