Aspiring to Excellence

Ken Amoah's excellence keynote serves as a template on how to live an excellent life. Amoah notes that the word has been exhaustively overused by institutions and brands, rendering it borderline meaningless. He recalls the dictionary definition of the word -- the "state or quality of being outstanding or superior" -- hoping to bring its original meaning back into our consciousness.

Amoah then goes on to divide excellence into four essential components, the first being branding. Branding is crucial, whether in an individual or business context, because it is what distinguishes and sets you apart. Your "brand" encompasses your unique features and withstands the test of time. The second factor in achieving excellence is initiative, which Amoah defines as a revolutionary, dramatic and creative change. The third element is innovation, which is the natural evolution of initiative. The defining characteristics of innovation is a thought process that goes against conventional logic.

Lastly, Amoah cites time as a very important factor of excellence. Indeed, one who is excellent has figured out that time equals value and therefore manages it accordingly.