More from Angela Ahrendts

The universal language is not texted, emailed, or spoken. It is felt.

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Angela Ahrendts

Ball State University Commencement 2008, 2008

The Story Behind This Quote

In her closing message, Ahrendts—then CEO of Burberry and soon to lead Apple's retail operations—offered a striking counterpoint to the digital revolution she herself was helping to drive. Despite being 'mesmerized by the Digital Tsunami,' she warned that Google doesn't have all the answers and questioned whether all those Facebook friends were truly friends. Drawing on years of international travel, Ahrendts argued that the heart is the one truly global language—a language communicated through eyes, gestures, and touch that transcends gender, generation, and culture. She urged graduates to develop their emotional intelligence alongside their technical skills, reminding them that 'college is an individual endeavor, where the broader world is a team sport.' The real test of their education would not be their IQ but their EQ.

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