undergraduate commencement Speaker
James M. Guyette '67
President and CEO of Rolls-Royce North America
Commencement Address
Thank you and good morning. I am deeply honored to be with you – even more than you may appreciate. For me, standing here is a special privilege.
Perhaps like some of you here today, I am a first generation college graduate. Growing up, education was an important topic around our dinner table. Higher education was not a given; it was a quest.
Like many of you here this morning, my parents were thrilled to attend my commencement from Saint Mary’s College in 1967. And once again today, there’s a smile on the face of my 95-year-old mother, seated out there among so many other happy parents.
What a pleasure it is to be with you all, on this tranquil and beautiful campus, at this glorious time of year. What a hopeful pause from the chaos of our world today.
Honestly, it’s hard to remember a time when the world was more troubled than it is right now. Everywhere you look -- turmoil. Never before have we faced so many challenges simultaneously.
There’s the economic challenge:
- Global economic crisis
- National economies crumbling
- The pace of decline, breathtaking
Financial challenges:
- Unprecedented credit crunch
- US and global banking systems in peril
- Bankruptcies and bailouts
- Home values plummeting – foreclosures
- Literally trillions of dollars in wealth and savings evaporating in a matter of months – dreams as well
There are business challenges:
- Orders disappearing across all industries
- Sales and profits in free-fall
- Mounting layoffs, leading to record unemployment levels here at home and around the world. In Spain today, the unemployment rate is 17.4%. And everyday, some 22,000 jobs are lost in the US alone. Many of these lost jobs are not coming back. Much of this change is systemic – not just cyclical
Political challenge:
- War -- in Iraq and Afghanistan
- Nuclear arms development in Pakistan, North Korea and Iran
- Intensifying volatility in places throughout the Middle East, Russia and China – all areas critical to world stability and economy -- and all already hard-hit by the global economic crisis
Civic challenges:
- Hopelessness and chaos. Even in Iceland, a remote nation once seemingly immune from global worries, the Prime Minister and his cabinet resigned under pressure, leaving the country without a functional government
- Lawlessness. A world where Somali pirates operate seemingly at will in the Gulf of Aden, seizing and ransoming ships from all nations for millions of dollars
Social challenges:
- Poverty. In Zimbabwe today, less than 6% of people are employed and the local currency is worthless
- Famine -- more than a billion people in developing countries facing the risk of starvation
Environmental challenges:
- Explosive population growth
- Global warming
- Drought
And finally -- and this is the most disappointing of all because it is within our control – the crisis of trust:
- In our leaders, our institutions
- In each other and
- In our values.
Yes, this is the world you’re entering. Pretty bleak huh? No wonder college graduates across campuses everywhere are worrying about that important first job and wondering about their career dreams and aspirations.
Perhaps some of you are feeling the effects. Maybe you have yet to line up that perfect job. Maybe you’re in debt, need to repay some student loans. Maybe you’re heading home to live with mom and dad for awhile to save some money.
Probably not what you imagined, but don’t give up. The sky is not falling. There’s hope – lots of hope.
This morning, let me try to help you see that hope, by putting things in perspective, and offering some insight into the fundamentals of life.
Every generation faces its own set of challenges and every time, humankind rises to meet them. And no matter how difficult the passage, every time we are the better for it.
So while this period is, and will continue to be extremely difficult, I believe we will emerge from it stronger and smarter than ever before.
Why? Because this is America, and we never met a challenge we didn’t like. We’re not afraid to tackle the tough issues, to work hard to make things better.
You know the old saying, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”? That’s us. Our country was founded on that gritty determination.
Throughout our history, when we encounter an obstacle, we go after it. We dive in and figure it out. In short, we act. This time is no different.
And although this moment in history may seem particularly tumultuous, it’s not unprecedented. Our nation’s past is rife with turbulence, right from the beginning.
Remember our fight for independence? How about our own civil war -- in which the casualties surpassed those of all other US conflicts combined -- when we almost lost our nation?
There was the market crash of 1929, the Great Depression and the era of the Dust Bowl – all with the same unsettling, frightening feel as today.
How about World War II, which tested our capacity and our character like never before? More recently, 9/11 shook our foundation and challenged our will.
Each time, America emerged – stronger and smarter than before. So our track record is good, but we can’t become complacent.
Earlier this month, on Mother’s Day in fact, my wife Kay and I decided to spend some time visiting the major monuments in Washington DC.
As we moved among the great memorials -- to Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln, then on to the Korean and Vietnam Veterans and World War II -- we were inspired by the nation’s values – and reminded of how often we have faced, and overcome, adversity.
We ended up at the memorial to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and there, etched into the granite was the following quote:
“The only limits to the realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith”.
Move forward with strong and active faith.
This is what we must do.
Twenty, thirty years from now there will be other challenges; today, we have ours. And even in a world as chaotic and complicated as this one, there’s still room – lots of room – for a successful and meaningful life.
How?
The answer lies with each of us and it starts with the fundamentals – a compass, a network, a clock and the right attitude.
Hold that thought.
Some say the last 50 years have been an aberration; that we enjoyed such economic prosperity and stability that we forgot our ideals -- forgot what America is about.
Rather than saving, investing and working to make things better for the future, we started borrowing and spending for the now, wanting not only our due, but beyond.
We assumed an air of entitlement, expecting – indeed demanding -- more than we had earned.
Maybe it’s true. Maybe we have lived a charmed life these past few decades and now we’re paying the price.
But even so, as daunting as our current crises might seem, they also offer opportunities.
In 1959, in a speech in Indianapolis, John Kennedy observed: “The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis”. One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger – but recognize the opportunity.”
That’s what we all must do now – recognize the opportunity. We know how. We’ve done it before.
Consider the year 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I -- a defining moment for our nation. At first, America reeled. But then we got serious, focused. We aimed our resolve and took action, empowering our leadership and changing our education system.
And, we put a man on the moon, defining the space age and issuing the Cold War challenge.
I like to say one should never miss a crisis because that’s when things really get done. It can be invigorating and a period of unparalleled progress.
This is where you come in.
Here you are, graduating. Poised to start your career, start your life, amidst a sea of crises.
As you look out over the horizon, do you see dead-ends or possibilities?
Roadblocks or catalysts?
Danger or opportunity?
In today’s world, success will require value creation. No, not wealth creation – value creation. Defining your personal value, your personal brand.
All of you have had good training. All of you have solid skills. So what makes the difference? As you step out on your career, how can you make yourself more valuable? How can you make yourself an asset, rather than a commodity?
You’re already off to a good start. Let me explain.
When asked recently why some organizations succeed through turbulence while others do not, author Jim Collins cited, and I quote: “Number 1, in times of great duress, tumult and uncertainty, you have to have moorings.”
That’s right, moorings.
In my life, as in yours, Saint Mary’s College – and the Christian Brothers – have provided those moorings.
My professional life has been aviation -- a fascinating and dynamic global industry that captured my imagination with my first flight at age 4, and that brought many interesting people from around the world into my life.
The Christian Brothers and all they represent however, have defined my entire life – both professional and personal -- from the beginning.
Following WWII, my father joined the Christian Brothers Winery where he remained for his entire career. Not surprisingly, my education was at a Christian Brothers high school, San Joaquin Memorial in Fresno, and then right here at Saint Mary’s. This relationship continues to this day with my service on the Saint Mary’s Board of Regents.
This heritage cultivated in me – in all of us – several skills essential to a meaningful life in a chaotic and complicated world:
- inquiry – reaching out to new ideas and new people;
- careful listening;
- thoughtful analysis;
- a solution-driven approach; and
- the art of conversation.
Those seminar classes will be important every day of your life. Continue to hone those skills.
Most importantly however, this heritage informed my values – my moorings – and helped me create my personal compass.
This compass is one of my most treasured gifts.
Your compass may be the same for you.
The world would be a very different place if more people developed and used their personal compass. People would be inspired to do what is right, not just what is required. People would be motivated by good, not greed.
If more people consulted their personal compass, it would restore confidence -- in ourselves and in each other -- and perhaps we wouldn’t be facing the crisis of trust I mentioned earlier.
Over the years, several members of our family also developed their own personal compasses right here. My two younger brothers, three of my sons, two daughters-in-law and a cousin or two all graduated from Saint Mary’s College.
Here we found friendships – lifetime friendships, family friendships -- that became the foundation for our personal networks.
Brother Mel, principal my senior year in high school, went on to serve as the longest term president of Saint Mary’s College, and to become a special family friend. At age 80, Brother Mel remains an optimist, still touching the hearts of students and inspiring them.
And you know, optimism is one of life’s essential ingredients. As Helen Keller once said, “No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.”
At age 80, Brother Mel also reminds us of another gift – that of time. Saint Mary’s may help develop our compass, but we all arrive with our own individual clocks.
The latest scientific evidence still strongly suggests that we only get one turn on planet Earth. Time. It’s a strategic asset – not just a commodity. Use it wisely.
In the words of Carl Sandburg: “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you”.
Now I don’t mean to pressure you, because you’ve got time – lots of time. What you decide to do with that time is up to you.
How will you use the moorings and network you’ve developed to explore and experience the world?
How will you choose to use your compass and your clock?
Despite the many challenges we face, the world is still an exciting and inspiring place, filled with opportunity. There are many, many choices waiting for you, perhaps in California, the US, or elsewhere in the world.
When I started in business, there were far fewer options. At the time, business was very US-focused, and technology as we have come to know it, simply did not exist.
Today, technology has brought the world together, enabling people and organizations to interact and collaborate as never before, regardless of geography.
Technology has also broadened the world, opening up new opportunities in sectors from manufacturing to services and beyond. And when it comes to the possibilities of technology, we’ve just scratched the surface.
In your lifetimes too, much will change -- driven by technology of course -- but also by larger dynamics. It’s happening already.
Some of the crises we’re experiencing now are signs of that change – tectonic change.
For example, our financial woes here at home suggest we’re undergoing a fundamental restructuring of the US economy – moving to a model less reliant on the consumer and forcing the US to re-examine its economic priorities.
Industries once considered essential to our economy are evolving or dying. Automotive is a prime example, but how about the news business? In just the past few months, daily newspapers in half a dozen US cities have stopped printing.
As the US economy restructures, the impact will be global. For well over a century, the US has been the world’s leading economic power. This too is starting to change.
With recent gains in some Asian and Middle Eastern countries, we’re already seeing evidence of the inevitable shift of world economic power.
What all this means for you is that the opportunities that await you today are just the beginning. Two, five, ten years from now, the opportunities will be quite different.
The trick for you is to begin to prepare now. To position yourself for a role that may not even exist today. To ready yourself for the inevitable tomorrow.
In troubled times, the tendency is to retreat. Don’t.
Even Saint Augustine, speaking over 16 centuries ago understood this when he said, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page”. Pretty sage advice from someone who lived before travel as we know it was even imagined!
Still today, Saint Augustine’s right. Get out there. Think big. Think global. Think new. Imagine. Dream. Reach out. Take in. Network. Explore the options or create new ones. Try them on. Embrace them. Do what you love. Do what you believe. Do all you can ... and then do more.
Because in the end, it is not only what you do in your life but how you live your life that makes the difference. Armed with your compass, your clock, a bit of optimism and the right attitude, anything is possible.
Ah yes, attitude.
On this wonderful occasion, many words will be spoken. Some will go unheard. Some will be rejected. Most will be forgotten.
My wish is that you remember just one; that 42 years from now, when one of you takes this very podium, that word will have made a difference.
It begins with the first letter of the alphabet.
It is the great differentiator among people.
It determines success.
It factors heavily in happiness.
It is an important prism through which to view a troubled world or difficult situation.
It provides a reservoir of strength.
It is a source of resilience.
It allows challenges to be seen as opportunities.
Winners in every aspect of life know this word well.
Attitude. Our approach to circumstances and to people.
Attitude.
More of life, of success and happiness, is about attitude than you might expect.
Throughout your career, you will find the very best organizations will hire for attitude and train for skills. Hire for attitude and train for skills.
You and your colleagues assembled here today bring many talents and fundamental skills to the workplace, but they will need refinement, experience and additional training. When deciding who to invest in, the really good organizations look to the talent with the right attitude.
So it’s not just about the right stuff; it’s also about the right attitude.
Since we’re in an academic setting, some of you might require proof.
Dr Richard Wiseman, Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in England, has spent a decade studying what he calls the secrets of serendipity – answering the question: why is it that some people have all the luck?
According to Wiseman, “Luck is not a magical ability or gift from the gods. Instead it is a state of mind – a way of thinking and behaving.”
Through his research, Professor Wiseman has identified four principal reasons why good things seem to happen to certain people – why some people seem luckier than others.
First, and I quote, “Being in the right place at the right time is actually all about being in the right state of mind.” Said another way, lucky people are more receptive and open to the possibilities, more able to spot and seize the opportunities that others miss.
Second, lucky people listen to their hunches. They value their instincts – their moorings -- sometimes even making good decisions without fully understanding why.
Third, lucky people tend to persevere in the face of setbacks, operating under the firm belief that they will achieve their goal.
And fourth, lucky people seem to have a knack for turning bad luck into good fortune, again absolutely convinced that things will always work out for them.
In sum, lucky people generally have a more positive outlook. Like Brother Mel, they’re optimists who, despite the challenges, tend to view the world as a good and happy place filled with possibilities. Lucky people have the right attitude.
So you see, with your compass, your clock, a smile and the right attitude, you’re already well on the way to creating value – your value.
A picture of one of my favorite presidents hangs in my office along with a quote. To me this president represents the spirit of our nation. Here is what he said on April 10, 1899:
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt.
His message is clear and simple: go for it.
Yes, this is a dangerous world – it always has been. It’s also a world of beauty, opportunity, hope and advancement.
And so, graduates:
- Thank Saint Mary’s and the Christian Brothers;
- Grab your compass;
- Grow your network;
- Bottle that optimism;
- Hang on to that smile;
- Remember the clock;
- Choose to be lucky; and
- Reach – really reach – for the stars.
Because life – it’s all about attitude.
Congratulations. Best wishes always, and … go Gaels!
