speeches
Otto Beisheim School of Management
8th Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA Program
Commencement Address
Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr.
Bonn
October 7, 2006
Petersberg, Steigenberger Grandhotel
As prepared for delivery.
It is an honor to be with you here on this special day at this very historic location. This is where Chancellor Adenauer negotiated the conditions of the Petersberg Agreement with American, British, and French commissioners. That agreement gave shape to the transatlantic vision of a Europe, whole, free and at peace. More recently, the international community met here, under the auspices of the United Nations, to help the Afghan people outline the future of their country.
Both of these historic events are symbolic -- both of the hard-won freedom, security, and prosperity within the transatlantic community; and the knowledge that their extension throughout the world depend on a continued commitment to promote democracy and freedom, bring peace to troubled regions, and foster global prosperity.
That commitment is not the single responsibility of governments alone. Our leaders lend authority to these proud goals but, as we have seen in the last six decades, the initiative of a whole network of individuals and institutions shapes the world we live in. Nations are effective on the world stage in direct proportion to the talents, wisdom and experience of their leaders -- and their citizens. The relationship between the Otto Beisheim and the Kellogg Schools of Management is an example of a partnership, born of a mutual trust, support and respect, which has real potential to make a difference. Based on a global understanding of business responsibility, the MBA executive program stresses academic excellence, social responsibility, entrepreneurial, innovative thinking, international dimensions of management and business -- all essential in today’s global economy. To your credit, international ranking lists confirm the success of your endeavor.
For that reason, today, we honor the Class of 2006. You are all exceptional. You have combined your studies with fulltime jobs. It has taken personal discipline, stamina, and a sense of purpose to carry through. Congratulations on a job well done.
In a few minutes, you will walk across this stage to receive your diplomas. That diploma comes with certain "rights, responsibilities and privileges." I am sure that you are looking forward to the rights and privileges, but I would like to concentrate on the responsibilities side of the equation. Commitment and dedication must be givens. I am going to repeat a piece of advice that I have handed out in almost every speech I have ever delivered – both here in Germany as Ambassador and in my previous business career. Become involved in public policy discussions. Understand the issues beyond the bottom line.
Government at all levels permeates our very lives. When government doesn't get it right, the consequences are serious. Citizen participation in politics and government ensures transparency, effectiveness, responsiveness and accountability. The stakes are too high to leave politics to the politicians. Government has borrowed some of the managerial concepts that the business community has developed to deal with the fast-moving and competitive global economy.
These concepts include effective goal setting, setting the bar high, quality control management, and a policy of continuous improvement. The business community understands better than anybody else what policies are good for the economy.
Be a part of the strong network of policymakers, researchers, journalists, nonprofit leaders, and business leaders that is one of the cornerstones of today’s transatlantic partnership. The world depends on the common values of tolerance, generosity, social justice, and integration that you have all had the good fortune to experience in the very special international executive MBA program that you have just completed. The unique education you have received has equipped you to see the connections between what happens in your own local communities and the broader set of communities around the world.
You also have an obligation to search for the truth. You have learned how to inquire, how to assess and analyze -- the value of reasoned debate. You have a responsibility to seek out those who do not think like you do. Scientists and engineers do this every day by testing boundaries and exploring new frontiers. The vision of innovation is, however, not limited to molecules and machines.
New ideas are the lifeblood of our society. Ralph Waldo Emerson put it this way: "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." There are always unknown territories to explore and as yet unimagined paths to a common good. When we question old ways in order to imagine and create new ones, we can move the whole world in a direction that makes it better. That is what innovation is all about.
The economist Joseph Schumpeter, writing in the 1930's, coined the phrase "creative destruction" to describe the process by which innovation disrupts -- and displaces -- old technologies as new ones emerge. The old gives way to the new is a necessary feature of economic growth. But innovation is not an abstract force. It's what people do. It means that if you don't transform the world, someone else will. If you want the world to reflect your vision and your ideals, you will have to roll up your sleeves and become an innovator.
I have often been asked what it takes to be a winner in the global world of business. I have always answered, that for one, defending the status quo was a losing strategy. One of my guiding principles has been to "look into the future and try to foresee events." That was the advice my great-grandfather gave my grandfather when together they decided to start a new business in 1898. The Timken Company was already successful in the horse and buggy business but my great-grandfather had a terrific idea. He saw the tapered roller bearing as an entry ticket to the automotive field, the hot new technology of that era.
Be on watch for the moments and people that come along and point you in a new direction. I'll bet you that 10 years from now, many of you will find yourselves following a very different course than what you foresee today -- all because of a new opportunity or an innovative idea. It has happened to me many times over during the course of my career, especially as the Timken Company adjusted to the forces of globalization and technological change.
Now as Ambassador for my country, I find that my great-grandfather’s advice also holds true in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Whether in diplomacy or business, both countries and companies do their best to analyze available facts, examine trends, make forecasts, and act accordingly.
The German-American partnership of the past 60 years is undoubtedly the success story of modern diplomacy. The strong ties between our countries have built one of the world's most valuable strategic partnerships in history. Our job now is to take that relationship to the next level. As all of us in this room know, the challenges of the last few years have tested the relationship. The world has changed so fundamentally that new concepts are required. We cannot afford to go with the status quo.
We live in an age of unparalleled technological progress, freedom and prosperity. We have put men and women into space, learned how to transplant hearts and to condense a library full of books onto one tiny chip. In Europe, people survived the imposition of totalitarianism behind the Iron Curtain and then launched one of the most important revolutions in history by tearing down the Berlin Wall and restoring democracy to all of Europe. But we also live at a time of unprecedented danger and instability. The global threats posed by terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, failed states, dictators and rogue states have required the design and implementation of new financial, law enforcement, intelligence, and military options. Working through these dramatic changes has not been easy.
Globalization is making the world smaller, faster, and richer. It has brought tremendous changes. The economic and business interests of Germany and the United States are a good example of how open markets, a stable financial system and global economic integration have created better lives for people. More than 750,000 Americans work for German companies, and some 500,000 Germans work for American companies. Our bilateral trade runs well over $100 billion per year, yielding benefits for both our publics in terms of jobs, availability of goods, and quality of life. From automobiles to space research, Germany and the United States are at the forefront of technological change. On a broader scale, EU enlargement has been a critical factor in advancing prosperity throughout Europe. That confirms what we know. Trade and open societies spurs economic growth, creates jobs, and promotes prosperous, healthier societies.
Globalization also presents unprecedented challenges that require creativity and resolve. One-third of human beings now live in places where the standard of living may increase 30 fold in a single human lifespan -- a transformation that dwarfs what we call the Industrial Revolution. Still, 9/11, avian flu, Darfur, Iran remind us that a smaller, faster world is not necessarily a more secure world. A more integrated world offers unprecedented opportunities for collaboration and innovation, but it also invites threats from those forces of hatred and intolerance who wish to do harm.
Ladies and gentlemen, my career has taken me from multinational business and philanthropy to international diplomacy. I have been faced with resolving challenges that lay far beyond my doorstep in Canton, Ohio. To a much larger extent, this will be a given of the lives of you and all those graduating from countless institutions of higher learning around the world this spring. Remember that despite the challenges that will face you, there is still room for big dreams. Our era is one of momentous transition and transformation, one in which there is an unprecedented openness to new ideas.
With your energies, ideas and fresh eyes, I know you will make your dreams come true and enrich the world in the process.
So, that is my final piece of advice. Look for those opportunities to give something back. I, for one, have led a most fortunate life. I have been blessed with a supportive family, excellent educational opportunities, and a satisfying, challenging career. But I have always followed one principle – to put more into the pot than what I take out. Never ask why someone else has been given more. Ask why you have been given so much.
This day of ceremony is a marker of gifts well used and gifts to come, aspirations fulfilled and hard work rewarded. It's been my privilege to share it with you and your families. Once again, my congratulations to the Class of 2006 on a job well done. I wish you a future that is challenging and rewarding, a future that provides you every opportunity to create the life -- and the world -- you imagine. Best wishes to you all.
