Last month, I attended the Association for Talent Development International Conference and Exhibition. I wasn’t managing the conference or its speakers as I’ve done for several conferences over the last eight years, nor was I even speaking or coaching professionals. I was an attendee, which allowed me to soak up the knowledge and work on my own professional learning and development.

As I listened to two of the keynote speakers, Barack Obama and Marcus Buckingham, I noticed common themes. Prefacing them was an introduction by chairwoman Tara Deakin, whose words struck me as insightful and sparked my idea for this article.