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The Power of Positive Leadership

At Convocation '13, Scotiabank's Mike Durland channels Iron Man and Martin Luther King Jr.

Mike Durland is Group Head and Co-CEO, Global Banking and Markets, of Scotiabank. He earned his PhD in Finance at Queen’s School of Business and sits on QSB’s Advisory Board.

Durland delivered this Convocation address at Queen's University on May 23, 2013.

Video Highlights

2:07    The movie Iron Man teaches us much about how to apply our talents in the most authentic way. "To whom much is given, much is expected."

4:26    Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech in August 1963 was originally written with an angry and negative message. At the last moment before delivering the speech in front of more than 250,000 civil rights supporters, King decided instead to share his dream of a country free of racism. "Leaders have an obligation to lead," said Durland. "People want to be led by positive people."

8:30    Durland offers a story about the "death crawl drill," and what it says about the nature of success. "Success is not a relative concept. We have the predisposition to watch where other people are dropping, to adapt to their standard. I think people have much more to give."