Today my TEDx talk went live and I had the great honor of having it featured on TED.com. But rather than write about my talk, I want to write about the talks I heard that day that have stuck with me.
As I listened throughout the day, I found myself having the same reaction over and over again. The topics couldn’t have been more different, yet many of the speakers were wrestling with a similar tension. They were talking about moments when people stop focusing exclusively on their own needs, ambitions, fears, or frustrations and become more invested in someone or something outside themselves. It showed up in conversations about parenting, philanthropy, relationships, and personal growth. Nobody was using the same language, and nobody was making exactly the same argument, but I kept hearing versions of the same idea. The things that bring the deepest sense of fulfillment rarely come from what we acquire, achieve, or control. They emerge through our relationships with other people and through the contribution we make to their lives.
Two talks in particular have stayed with me.
Dr. Jonathan Donath spoke about generosity and the work he has built through Daily Giving. The organization has enabled thousands of people around the world to make charitable giving part of their everyday lives, distributing millions of dollars to nonprofits in the process. What resonated with me wasn’t just the scale of the impact. It was the philosophy behind it.
Jonathan shared that generosity often gets pushed into the category of things we’ll do later when we have more time, more money, or fewer competing priorities. We care, we want to help, but we don’t wake up asking ourselves how we can give today. And yet, when we do give, we feel better about ourselves and we are fulfilled. So how can we make a habit of giving everyday? Jonathan started a nonprofit in which people can give one dollar a day, and every day they receive an email letting them know about where their dollar went.
Jonathan’s message was refreshingly practical. He said meaningful impact doesn’t require a grand gesture. It can be built through small acts repeated consistently over time. I IMMEDIATELY signed up. I loved the idea.
Then I wondered how much of my single dollar was going to the nonprofit and how much was going to staff. It turns out, they have a dedicated group of supporters who cover the organization’s overhead costs. That level of transparency creates trust, and trust makes it easier for people to participate in something larger than themselves.
What stayed with me after his talk was the connection between giving and love. We often talk about love as an emotion, but Jonathan was describing something much more tangible: a daily practice of caring about people beyond your immediate circle. The amount of money was beside the point. What mattered was the habit of directing attention away from yourself and toward someone else’s needs. In a world that constantly pulls us toward our own goals, worries, and ambitions, there is something grounding about creating a ritual that reminds you other people matter too.
Another speaker who left a lasting impression was Rachael Fritz. Her talk challenged much of the conventional parenting advice that dominates books, podcasts, and social media feeds.
Rachael shared a powerful perspective on the difference between managing behavior and building connection. Almost like “surrender to parent.” Her argument wasn’t centered on finding the perfect parenting technique or mastering the latest strategy. It was about understanding children as human beings and creating relationships grounded in trust, empathy, and emotional safety.
The parallels between all our talks were impossible to ignore. Organizations often spend enormous amounts of energy searching for the right process, incentive, communication plan, or accountability system. Those tools matter, but they rarely compensate for the absence of genuine connection between people.
Human beings respond differently when they feel understood. They contribute differently when they trust and feel trusted. They engage differently when they believe the relationship matters beyond the transaction.
Jonathan spoke about giving. Rachael spoke about parenting. I spoke about leading. All of us described experiences that become richer when the focus shifts away from ourselves and toward our connection with other people.
That may sound simple, but it is an idea worth spreading. I walked onto the TEDx stage hoping my talk would resonate with the audience. I left grateful for the reminders I received from the speakers around me.
Elsewhere in Culture
Can AI Make Work Easier Without Replacing People? (with Co-Host Nicole Mangiorella) Nicole Mangiorella, Head of Technology & Innovation at SPS Global, joined me to discuss what organizations are actually doing with agentic AI today. Instead of replacing employees, many companies are using AI to eliminate the friction that gets in the way of meaningful work. We explored where AI can augment human performance, why accountability still matters, and the surprising IKEA example that turned efficiency gains into a new revenue stream. It challenged some of my own assumptions about the future of work. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ceo-daily-brief-with-dr-jessica-kriegel/id1725350421?i=1000769800674 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/70qmOa0IX83lk12Hkh5mz4?si=665878e291f64f36
What Does Large-Scale Transformation Require From Leaders? (with Co-Host John Frehse) John called in from Saudi Arabia, where he was speaking to leaders navigating one of the largest healthcare transformations in the world. Our conversation focused on trust, recognition, and the employee experience during change. When leaders become consumed by plans, timelines, and metrics, they can overlook the people responsible for making transformation successful. Culture remains one of the most powerful levers for delivering results, especially when uncertainty is high.
What Should AI Replace, and What Should Never Be Handed Over? (with Co-Host John Frehse) John and I debated which business functions are most vulnerable to AI and which require proven systems and human oversight. We didn’t entirely agree, which made for a great conversation. The discussion introduced the concept of framing blindness: becoming so attached to one perspective that you stop seeing alternative possibilities. As organizations race to adopt AI, leaders need to stay curious enough to question their assumptions about what comes next.