Dr. Curtis Carlson, President and CEO of the Stanford Research Institute, remarks delivered at Stevens' Undergraduate Commencement, May 22, 2008
HOBOKEN , N.J. ― Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be here with you and with the great governor of our wonderful state I’m privileged to be on this stage because innovation is not only innovation in technology. Actually most of innovation comes from the government and the policies and the way we work so it’s a particular pleasure to be here to see that connection. It’s exciting of course to be here today with you to celebrate this important event. First, I would like to pay tribute to today’s graduates. This wonderful occasion marks the culmination of your hard work and many achievements, and in this talk, I would like to explain to you why you’re my heroes. I would also like to recognize your families, friends and dedicated professors who believed in and supported you. Few meaningful accomplishments are achieved alone. It’s important to celebrate our partners’ and loved-ones’ contributions to our success, and I am sure that you are heroes to them too.
Your graduating is an exciting time. We live in a world of unprecedented opportunity –a world of abundance. In the knowledge age, the age you’re in, there are no limits to growth. Unlike land and other physical resources, ideas and creativity are unlimited. But it is a world of abundance only for those who can see the opportunities in front of them and those who have the skills to take advantage of them. Without these skills it can seem like a world of scarcity. Fortunately, you are among that rare group with the required skills. For you, an exciting journey is just beginning.
You made an extremely wise decision to pursue your education at Stevens. Stevens is increasingly becoming a model for education in the knowledge age, where innovation is the only path to growth, prosperity, environmental sustainability and security. Because an education at Stevens is motivated by the critical importance of innovation, you have learned those rare, essential skills. Today’s knowledge-based innovations are driven by wave after wave of new technologies and an increasingly global, interconnected world. Every major area of society is ripe for great progress. In fact, I believe this is the best time ever in the history of science and technology. For example, the internet, as remarkable as it is, is still an infant. It is not fast enough, not ubiquitous enough nor secure enough. But communications and computers are doubling in performance every 18 months. By 2040, our thousand-dollar desktop computers will have computing power that’s hundreds of times the speed of the human brain. By then, today’s PCs, internet and iPods will seem absolutely medieval. Also consider Google, which really doesn’t work when you think about it. We want answers and it gives us page after page of links. The innovation that replaces Google will come only from graduates like you.
Consider health and medicine. Health is no longer just about chemistry, physiology and anatomy. It is becoming an information science. Decoding the human genome was only a first step. Advances in health sciences will eventually add decades of healthy, productive time to our lives and many of you will live to be well over 100 years old. But the innovations required will only come from graduates like you.
What about the environment? Fortunately America is blessed with an abundance of energy. We have at least 200 years of coal and perhaps, surprisingly, as much oil as Saudi Arabia , but it’s buried in oil sand in the West. The problem is not scarce energy; rather it is clean, low-cost energy. I am sure this will come too. But the innovations required will only come from graduates like you. If those challenges are not enough, consider these: Five million people die each year from infectious disease in the developing world. Only 50 percent of U.S. high school graduates pass algebra, a basic requirement for success in the knowledge age. None of you would be here if you hadn’t gotten through algebra. And roughly three billion people live on two dollars a day. It is only through new innovations by graduates like you that these problems will be solved. The important needs of society and the opportunities they represent are not scarce. They are abundant. The only truly scarce resource today is people -- people with the technical, innovation and personal skills needed to identify and act on those opportunities.
Obviously you have taken an important step by pursuing your degree, but I would like to talk about several other factors that have also been part of your education at Stevens and that are just as vital as your major.
The anthropologist Margaret Mead summed it up when she said, quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” These are powerful words: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” I have experienced the universal truth of Meade’s words hundreds of times in my own career, at various organizations, with people with diverse backgrounds, and when pursuing different goals. Why is this so? Let’s start with Meade’s purpose to quote “change the world.” Perhaps this sounds naïve, grand or even impossible, but I know from experience some of you will positively change the world. Certainly, all of you will have the chance to make a positive contribution. Whether you’re helping a child to learn, or developing a new product for a company or working to improve our government, there is both opportunity and significant purpose available in every aspect of life. We have learned that it is critical however to aim high and to focus on what we call important needs -- not just ones that are interesting to you. Important needs are ones that others care about, that affect other people, and that will be around long enough so that you can make a contribution. We all want to make an impact during our lives. Focusing our precious time on important needs increases our chance to make an impact because doing important things attracts terrific partners and the resources we need for success. In addition, important needs stretch us intellectually so we can learn new skills and become more capable. A colleague of mine once said, “Focus on important needs, not just interesting ones.” After all there’s an infinite supply of both and the important ones are also incredibly interesting. So set out your goals and work on things that matter.
When you work on important needs, one key to success, as Meade said, is quote, “A small group of thoughtful, committed people.” Few, if any, important problems can be solved alone. Productive teamwork is the basis of all meaningful success. Addressing important needs takes hard work. Teams provide the needed energy, ideas and emotional support. Having at least one partner to share the inevitable ups and downs is essential. Remember, even the lone ranger had Tonto. And Steve Jobs had Wozniak. A team does not initially need to be large. In big organizations, people often think they need hundreds of colleagues in order to have any chance of success. But in Silicon Valley , where I work, we see again and again little start-ups surpassing corporate giants. Meade’s quote says why. Increasingly, here at Stevens, you’re seeing that happen too as new companies are being developed here through your innovation process at Stevens. So, find a partner and start assembling your team.
In my organization, we celebrate people who commit to making their dreams come true. We call them champions. Champions are people with the passion to make something important happen. There’s a huge difference between someone who’s simply doing a job and someone who takes full responsibility to make something important happen. You can feel the power that comes when someone says, “Yes, I am committed to making this happen. You can count on me.” Making a commitment can seem risky at first, but making a commitment is actually the path of least risk since it enormously increases the chance of success. As a result we have a saying, quote, “No champion, no project, no exception.” The great German poet Johann Goethe said quote, “Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Once people take this path, they seldom turn back. So commit to your goals and be a champion for them.
Margaret Meade referred to thoughtful people. This means people who are disciplined to do their homework. In Silicon Valley , unfortunately the word “entrepreneur” often suggests risk-taker. But in my experience, the only thing that successful entrepreneurs have in common is that they are risk reducers not risk-takers. They do their homework, they understand their field, they assemble teams and they succeed more often than not. And, by the way, being wrong initially doesn’t matter. No one starts a new project with all the answers. So do your homework, reduce risk and increase your opportunities. This process of small passionate teams working together is critical for success, but it is hard. It takes strong interpersonal and professional skills, and these skills are built on fundamental human values. One value essential to success is respect for others.
Respect is the foundation of teamwork and collaboration. Without respect it is impossible to assemble and manage a productive team. I was once a member of a government review team and we were well-known people on the team with strong views. – What the world needs is an innovation to stop rain (looks up toward rainy sky) – Since we were going to be together day and night for two weeks, I was a little worried about whether everyone would get along. But much to my delight it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable projects of my career. I went up to our chairman, Bob Geldin, the former president of Motorola, to thank him. And since experiences like this don’t happen by accident, I asked him what he was thinking about while running our team. After pausing, he said quietly, “I believe that respect for others is the most important value.” Imagine how many problems in the world would be solved if people simply treated each other with respect.
Another important value is integrity. People who do not have integrity generally fail. Without integrity there can be no respect and trust; without respect and trust you cannot work productively to solve important problems.
And the last human value that I mentioned is enthusiasm. As Secretary of State Colin Powell said quote, “Enthusiasm is a force multiplied.” Negative, cynical people sabotage a team, whereas enthusiasm is an amplifier of creativity and commitment. Enthusiasm allows you to experience the fun of achievement, and it keeps you going long after you thought you couldn’t. Surround yourself with positive, enthusiastic people with great human values. When you do, work doesn’t seem like work, and your team can create what looks to others like magic. So great human values matter.
All of these ingredients are essential for success. We have learned the hard way, that when these ingredients are not in place we fail and when they are in place, we succeed. There really is no choice. As Meade said, this is quote, “the only thing that ever has led to success.” “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Take full advantage of our world of abundance. Find work you love. Tackle big, important problems you are passionate about. Be optimistic. Keep on learning. Be a champion and surround yourself with equally passionate, committed colleagues.
You can now see why you are my heroes. Only from graduates like you are we going to create the innovations that we need. Thanks to your efforts and your great professors you have the rare skills that are needed. And finally, remember again Goethe: Boldness does have genius, power and magic in it. Thank you for letting me share your celebration today. It’s a great university. I wish you all the best.
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.
Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,040 undergraduate and 3,085 graduate students, and a worldwide online enrollment of 2,250, with a full-time tenured/tenure-track faculty of 140 and more than 200 full-time special faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.
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