The continuing legacy of Steve Jobs

It’s two years since the founder of Apple died, yet his commencement speech at Stanford University given in June 2005 is still routinely viewed by millions.

It’s easy to see why.  It makes complete sense and is a valuable lesson to us all and is inspirational, honest and motivational.

From a speaking perspective, one of the most engaging aspects of his delivery is the opening itself – the Exordium – the bit where the speaker establishes his or her bona fides as a speaker and puts the audience at its ease.

Steve Jobs does this brilliantly by flattering those assembled, demonstrating humility and then setting out what he is about to say and in so doing he sticks rigidly to the rule of three, the power of which was certainly not lost on him not least in his famous introduction of the iPhone.