University of Texas at Arlington
Commencement Speech
Sunday, December 14, 2008

Thank you Dan, Dean Himarios, administration, faculty, distinguished guests, families, friends and especially graduates. I’m deeply honored to be here today to speak to the graduates of UTA’s College of Business. I would first like to add my personal welcome and congratulate each of you on your accomplishment. Please join me in a round of applause for our graduates.

Having recently completed my own MBA from UTA, I know first hand just how hard you have worked to arrive at this day, and the tremendous support for that you received from your family and loved ones. So on behalf of our graduates, I would like to thank family and friends for your love and support that made this day possible.

Now, it has also been my honor to serve on the advisory council, so I know first hand just how talented the College of Business graduates really are. I see bright futures for our accountants, HR and finance specialists and in fact, all of the Business School grads. But more than that, I see the faces of many of our future leaders.

Today is the culmination of a lot of work, but it is most certainly not an ending. While one phase of your learning is coming to a close, a new phase of even greater growth and development is about to begin.

Now, I’m sure that most of you have been reading the newspaper in recent weeks – or watching television coverage of the worsening financial markets – and frankly, you’re questioning your timing here…entering the job market in the middle of the worse financial recession since the great depression.

No doubt you’re anxious about the current economic crisis – and wondering whether you’ll be able to find opportunities out there.

While the situation is certainly daunting, I ask you to consider this: It is within these types of crises that we find real opportunities. And more often than not, it is by taking the greatest risk that you gain the greatest reward.

In fact, I will share with you that my entire career has been built on taking the tough jobs in tough times.

So don’t lose too much sleep…yet. And don’t be afraid to seek out and take the tough jobs at times like these. There will always be a need for strong leadership and creative minds to forge new paths. Our great country was built by leaders just like you, seizing the moment and the opportunity. It will require hard work, but leverage the challenges that we are facing, embrace it as an opportunity and you will likely achieve even greater success than you can imagine possible. While some of you are just starting out in your career and others are continuing a career that is already in progress.

Whatever point on that path you may be, remember this: Your career is a constant evolution; it is built and developed over time. Regardless of where you stand today or how far you go, the same basic principles will apply and will continue to apply as you climb every rung of the ladder before you.

I would like to take the next few minutes sharing some of my experiences and guiding principles in which you may consider as you build your career.

First your career is simply YOUR career; you are responsible for its growth and nurturing. It is not your boss’s or the company’s responsibility, it is simply YOUR career to manage. Far too often we believe that if we go to work and do a great job, we will be recognized and promoted accordingly. Doing a great job is important, but it is not the only factor. Your reputation, your integrity, your leadership and the willingness to take on the tough assignments are key elements to your long term personal and professional success.

Integrity

Above all else, build a reputation for honesty and integrity. I think that Dwight D. Eisenhower said it best:

“In order to be a leader a man must have followers. And to have followers, a man must have their confidence. Hence, the supreme quality for a leader is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible.”

Trust

Trust is something that cannot be quantified in numbers, or adequately described in words, but if you want to measure the true value of trust – try gaining back the trust of someone, once it is lost! Whether in your personal life or business dealings – never underestimate the importance of someone’s trust in you. Respect it, guard it and never act in a way that can jeopardize the faith that has been placed in you. You can rise through the ranks of management without it, but you can never truly become a leader unless you have the trust of your team.

A thirst for knowledge

Today you receive a certificate stating you have earned a degree – but don’t confuse that with the end of your education. Dennis Waitely, a well-respected author and speaker on personal and professional success, has said:

“Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience.”

If you can find a way to remain open to new ideas, new experiences, encourage creativity and diversity of thought from those around you, you will become a richer and wiser person. And never forget that much of this wisdom will be learned through total, complete, blundering fail! They’re painful, discouraging and often embarrassing – but I assure you that I – and every other person sitting here today – will learn ten times more from each mistake we make than we ever do from our successes.

So don’t be afraid of failure. Take responsibility for it, learn from it, then move on – and you’ll rarely make the same mistake twice. Fortunately, there are plenty of other mistakes to be made!

Finally, Humility. Resist the temptation to immerse yourself in your job, measure yourself in terms of your professional accomplishments or focus solely on your next promotion. Great leaders don’t need to dwell on these things.

Despite their obvious success, leaders focus instead on giving back – to colleagues and the community, friends and family – understanding the all-important need for balance in our lives. Pay special attention to balancing work and family life. The author Robert Fulghum reminds us to:

“Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.” I would add never lose the joy of a 5 year old.

All of these things build great leaders – and strong leadership is what it will take to navigate this country – and countries around the world that are facing similar financial crises, to a position of success in the future.

General Norman Schwarzkopf once said that:

"Leadership is a combination of strategy and character. If you must be without one, be without the strategy."

Having worked my way up all the way from airplane mechanic to Senior Vice President of Operations at one of the world’s largest airlines, I couldn’t agree more. In my 25 years in the workplace, I have seen countless managers – but have been blessed to have worked with only a few great leaders.

And what distinguishes a strong leader from a manager are all those attributes I’ve mentioned – integrity, trust, humility, and a desire to keep learning each and every day.

You have completed many years of education – 12 years just to get to college – no telling how many years some of you have spent here at UTA! (And some of you actually came back for even MORE of this abuse!)

Thousands of dollars were spent pursuing the best information, training and knowledge to be had. Countless hours were spent studying, debating, conferring and advancing ideas. What I close with today is what I believe all of that effort boils down to – the true secret to being a successful leader in today’s society: Doing the right thing – Dr. Martin Luther King stated, “It is always the right time to do the right thing.”

• Always act with Integrity
• Never violate the Trust of your colleagues, your customers, your friends or family
• Always continue to have an open and curious mind
• Remain Humble – we’re all part of a larger community – stay grounded in your responsibility to your neighbor
• Remain true to your faith and family
• Have fun living life, it is our greatest gift

With that, I have no doubt you will succeed.

My sincere congratulations to all of you on your accomplishments – and Godspeed as you embark on your next learning adventure.

Thank you.