Acceptance Speech

1.
Ladies and gentlemen, Im almost lost for words. Even being nominated for (name of award) is
an incredible honour, particularly given the extraordinary strength of the field this year, but to win
against such strong competition is just amazing. I feel humble, but at the same time incredibly
proud too.
With so many good candidates to choose from, the judges must have had a unbelievably difficult job
and Id like to thank everyone who voted for (me / our group / the project). Very few things in life are
entirely the work of just one person and this is no exception, so I must also pay tribute to the enormous
contributions made by (names / the rest of the team) without which, none of this would have been
possible and I certainly wouldnt be standing here now. This award is as much for them, as it is for me, but
sorry guys its definitely going to be living on my mantelpiece not yours, so hands off!
Against such strong competition, I really do have to count myself lucky to win but win I did and on a personal
level, its a great feeling to be up here, with this award in my hand. Every time I look at it, Ill be reminded of this
moment and how much it means to me. That said, we mustnt forget that awards are not simply about tonights
winners and losers; they tell us a lot about our (industry/pastime/occupation) too and for as long as there are awards
like this one around and so much good competition for them then weve little need to worry about the future of
(industry/pastime/occupation). Im accepting this award for (myself/my team/my company) of course, but Im also
accepting it on behalf of my (industry/pastime/occupation) and from where I stand, its future looks bright! Im
delighted to accept this award, and thank you all.

2.
Dear ladies and gentlemen!

I am deeply honored to have been selected as the laureate to accept the Emerging Leaders TM award. I am one of the managers who have
made their marks in Minnesota business. I am sincerely grateful for the recognition from the program sponsored by MDA Leadership
Consulting Featured in the Twin Cities Business Monthly magazine which initiated the whole event.

I should admit I was a bit stunned when I learned about my nomination. Without false modesty, I feel that other managers are also worthy of
this reward. However, I realize that it cant be divided into five, so again I want to express my gratitude to you. I am very pleased to receive this
award. I am very pleased also because it was one of my child dreams to stand in front of many people accepting an award recognizing my
qualities and achievements. So, today you are present at the fulfillment of my dream. I cant express my excitement and inspiration with this
award. Then, in the years of my unclouded childhood I couldnt imagine how interesting my life would be. Of course, I faced a lot of challenges
but I succeeded to overcome them and gained outstanding experience. Before entering the business sphere, I served in the U.S. Army. During
that time I patrolled the east-west Germanboarder as Cavalry Scout until the wall came down. I also served in Operation Desert Storm. Those
days are in the past but something invaluable remains with me. It is my character which was built up then. I had to overcome professional
difficulties and personal storms of life, but I succeeded. I started my career as a pressman, and then worked my way to a plant manager that
oversees two manufacturing operations. I think this is real success. And todays award is the symbol of that success.

I believe that six qualities which brought me here tonight were gained in the days of my youth. These qualities include professionalism, the
demonstration of potential and capacity to grow under corresponding circumstances. I also tried to create the climate in which people are
motivated to excel, so that they were engaged into work and contributed their best. Thus, I focused on the teamwork. I taught others to be
selfless in achieving goals that will benefit the whole organization, without waiting for reward. But first I demonstrated this on my personal
example. I was an intentional learner, who concentrated on self-improvement and encouraged it in others. I taught my employees to be
courageous in taking well-reasoned risks and embracing productive conflict, showing good judgment in gathering input and investigating the
companys strategic goals. And certainly, I followed my instructions as well. But I should tell you that throughout my life I always meet people
who are so inspired, talented or skilled that I can take something from them (of course, with their permission). I am always opened to new
initiatives, new people, and new cooperation. I think it is the pledge of successful performance today, because the world is changing so rapidly
that we can fail to keep abreast. Active position is beneficial today. So, guided by this principle I always take the best qualities of my employees,
friends and family, apply them to my professional life and so you can see me here. Of course, it is a joke, but I do learn from my environment.
People around are far cleverer than some might think. You only have to listen and watch attentively.

I want to express my gratitude to my family, which supported me in all my undertakings, XYZ Company and everyone I work with everyday to
make our operation successful. I am very pleased to have received this award. Thank for your choice and for your trust in me. I will do my best
to justify your trust and contribute to Minnesota business with the products and services of our company. Thank you!

3.
Thank you very much. I am honored to stand before you today as the recipient of this illustrious award. It is said that
hard work is its own reward - and I agree with this sentiment. Don't worry, I'm still going to take the award. (pause) In
all seriousness...recognition by one's peers is a compliment that is rivaled only by recognition by one's clients. This
award represents both of those things. I would like to express my appreciation, however, not just for this award, but
for the hard work of everyone in this room...work that has put me in the position to stand before you today. We are
only as good as those around us. I feel lucky to be surrounded by some of the most talented people in our industry.

When I found out about this award a week ago, I told my family first. Carol asked me what I was going to say today. I
didn't have an answer. She kept asking, and I still didn't have a good answer. (pause) That is, until yesterday. As
many of you know, Steven is currently preparing for the end of his first season of high school baseball. Last night, we
were playing catch in the backyard...I know, corny...just wait...it gets worse. (pause) I asked Steven how he felt about
the season...as you probably also know, the team didn't do too well. He got this little smile on his face and he
shrugged. I asked him again and he said, "we didn't win a lot of games, but I got to play a lot of ball with my friends."

(pause)

Well, not to be competitive, but we are winning. We have exceeded our sales goals. We are profiting while other
businesses in our sector flounder. We can take pride in our success and feel for those who are struggling. But most of
all, we can be happy. Happy to be part of a team, in good times and in bad. From now on when someone asks me if
I'm going to work...or how things are going at work, I will simply say that I am going to play ball with my friends.
Thank you.