Thank you, Walt (Lever) and good morning! I'm a proud graduate of Lipscomb University, and I'm deeply honored to be one of your keynote speakers this week as we inaugurate the 17th President of Lipscomb, Dr. Randy Lowry. I had my first sampling of politics here at Lipscomb, as I was selected to serve as president of both the student body and the Tennessee College Republicans. More importantly, it is also where I met my wife, Karen. So Lipscomb has played a vital role in shaping my professional and personal life, and, again, I am honored to have been chosen to address the next generation of Lipscomb students.
I am here today to discuss my passion for helping young people develop sound minds and strong Christian values as you take on the many responsibilities of living productive lives.
Today our nation enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world. We have much to be thankful for. Having strong and courageous individuals is a major reason for that success.
But as we continue growing as a nation, adding communities and diversifying our culture, America needs more people like you. We need people who think beyond their own immediate needs--people who are willing to give back more than they receive.
I believe that men and women serving in business, schools, government and the family--all play indispensable roles in building a society.
No matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, all of you contribute. All of you have an opportunity, indeed a responsibility to move your communities and our country forward.
One of President Bush's goals for America is to keep our edge as the most competitive and innovative economy in the world. I spend most of my time at the Commerce Department working on this very issue.
This requires that the U.S. remains the best place in the world for investment, to business growth and job creation.
The kind of high-quality individuals that Lipscomb University has produced for over 100 years are precisely the kind of people we need to achieve that goal for your generation, and for generations to come.
It is truly a blessing in my life to have been mentored by and work closely alongside great leaders every day. And that started here at Lipscomb.
Since then, I've seen a lot. I've learned a lot. And to be honest with you, I'm still learning! I do not consider myself a great leader today. But I do aspire to become one. I aspire to be like many of the leaders I've associated with. And that's what I think is the most important element of leadership.
The key is to know who you are--and to be who you are. Then, surround yourself with people who complement and balance your style.
So today, I want to describe the qualities of successful leaders I have observed throughout my career. I hope this will help you in your studies at Lipscomb, in your careers, and as you develop your own personal leadership styles.
Studying great leaders like Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan, I came to realize that a leader's job is to: read the compass, set the direction, move from strategy to action, and rally the troops.
I follow these principles as I work through the daily details of managing a federal agency--not to mention managing a family with two teenagers! In order not to forget these principles, I keep them in my pocket on a card with an image of a compass.
Every organization--a business, a government agency or the military--all require a CEO, a commander, who sees the entire scene in strategic terms. This is a person who inspires confidence, who energizes the "troops." Churchill himself suggested that the genius of a great leader is the "constant harmony" of holding a variety of great purposes in mind--all at once.
At home, at church, in college, in the boardroom, in Austin, Texas at the Governor's office, and now, incredibly, at the Commerce Department and the White House, I've had the opportunity to observe great leaders in action.
Each has had a unique leadership style.
President George W. Bush has a very different style than his father.
I've worked for two Secretaries of Commerce, both very successful as private sector CEOs--Secretary Evans at Tom Brown Inc., and Secretary Gutierrez at The Kellogg Company. Both are very effective and highly respected Cabinet Secretaries, yet their personalities and leadership styles are completely different.
Still, the great leaders I have known, been mentored by and studied have similar traits.
A Will to Lead The first trait that great leaders have is a will to lead. They want to lead. They embrace leadership opportunities.
Leadership is hard work. Great leaders actually enjoy the challenge, the demands, the pressures of leadership. Leaders must desire to persuade others to embrace their vision for change.
It can be a risky business.
On one hand, they ask people to follow. And they don't want to let them down, so there's always the pressure of showing them that they were right and that their people were right to follow.
There's pressure to deliver results, and great leaders are associated with great results. They get results for their people.
But on the other hand, leadership can be a lonely business.
When things are rough, when spirits are down, when everyone is wondering if the roof is going to crash on them, and the pressure makes people second-guess themselves, a leader doesn't have that luxury.
Everyone is waiting for the leader to show the way. Everyone else can wait and worry; but not the leader. He or she doesn't have that luxury.
Make tough decisions Second, I have found that great leaders are willing to make the difficult decisions--the tough decisions that no one else wants to make. Great leaders never pass the buck to a future generation. They confront problems, right now, today.
They confront the brutal realities. They meet them head on. They don't ignore them. They tackle them. It's a matter of honor. If you are in a leadership position, and you recognize a problem, then it's your responsibility to face up to it and to fix it.
Today, President Bush is confronting the problems that face our nation and threaten our security and continued prosperity.
He's not about to back away just because the issues are extremely tough: global terrorism and the war in Iraq, corporate scandals, Social Security reform, keeping America competitive in today's global economy, improving public education, or reducing our dependence on foreign oil. He won't pass the buck. It's not in his DNA.
Great leaders are also willing to make the tough call even if it is unpopular. Leaders are willing to take the hit, even if assailed from every side.
The desire to please people is simply not part of a leader's psychology. Rather, it is the commitment to do what's right regardless of the personal costs that drives them.
Bigger than self Third, great leaders believe in something bigger than themselves. People will always follow those serving the greater good.
If people see a leader focused on self-interest alone, they will not follow. At least they won't follow as far as they are being asked. They won't go the extra mile.
People are searching for someone who is willing to look at the bigger picture, to serve a transcendent good.
And so, while it runs against the conventional wisdom, great leaders are the greatest servants. Great leaders lead by serving because they believe in something greater than themselves.
Humility The last quality of great leaders that I have observed is a sense of humility.
Ironically, those who accomplish the most are the ones who brag the least. In making this point to senior executives at the Department of Commerce, my boss, Secretary Gutierrez, recounted one of his father's favorite Cuban sayings: "Tell me what you brag about, and I'll tell you what you lack." I believe you can tell a lot about a leader by observing how they treat people who can do absolutely nothing for them, the "invisible people" in an organization.
Last November, I was in Beijing and spoke at a trade and diplomacy conference at the invitation of former President George H. W. Bush, who sponsors the biannual event.
At a reception on the first night, someone approached the former president to have a picture taken. As he turned to face the camera, he bumped into a young waitress causing the entire tray of drinks she was carrying to crash to the floor.
The room fell silent. And I was amazed--humbled--to see President Bush on his knees helping the waitress pick up the shattered glass.
Immediately, one of the hosts said, "Oh, Mr. President, please don't worry about this. We'll get someone else to clean it up." He replied, "I bumped into her. The least I can do is help clean up [the mess]." Great leaders have a profound sense of humility.
Conclusion In closing, let me leave you with a final thought that goes to the very nature of leadership, and what I think separates great leaders from ordinary leaders. And I think this also applies to Christians.
Great leaders are optimists. Optimists focus on the future--a better, more hopeful future. They have faith, and they make decisions. They don't dwell on the past. And that's true whether leading in the family, at church, in business or in government.
On winning the Rose Bowl in 2005, Mack Brown, the Texas Long Horns coach, may have said it best in the locker room after the game. After congratulating the team on its win over USC, Coach Brown said: "Finally, this is the most important thing I want you to hear tonight. Remember that we love you. Be proud of what you have accomplished, and enjoy this moment. Let this be a great thing in life, but don't let it be the best thing that ever happens in your life. Go on from here, be great husbands and great dads, and make a difference." I hope you take this to heart. Be someone great. Make a difference.
I hope I have been able to add something positive to President Lowry's inauguration this week. I know his leadership, and his decision to lead, will inspire each of you to excel in whatever you decide to do in life.
Good luck to you all. And God bless.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
