Life has its ups and downs. Trust me. I’ve been criticized
by the best of them—from The Wall Street Journal to Fortune
magazine. You might think that when you are CEO that people would be nice to you.
Instead you’re only a bigger target.
You can’t predict the future, so don’t waste any time
worrying about it. The challenge you must accept, now, is to make yourself better
everyday. The era we live in belongs to people who believe in themselves, but
are focused on needs of others. I call it being great and good. Great
in the sense of competing to be your best, and good in the sense of building
trust through compassion, humanity, and love. And if you commit to being both
great and good, you will succeed anywhere.
Five Core Values
I graduated from Dartmouth as a 22-year old with nothing but a good
education and a sense of confidence. But I learned five values there that helped
me build a life where I could do my best without ever losing a sense for the person
I wanted to be.
1. Commit to learn everyday. You need to have an incredible thirst
for knowledge. Learn from the work you do and from the people you admire. Learn
by hurting and failing, and don’t take things at face value. Dig deep to
discover the truth for yourself. I’ve made it a point to learn about the
world. In fact, I spend 25 percent of my time outside the United States. And over
the last 20 years, I’ve visited and studied China. Most people in the United
States are negative about China because they see it as a threat. But I never trusted
what other people said about China. I wanted to learn it on my own. What I see
are great people who want what you and I want. And with them we built a $5 billion
business from the ground up. Your desire to learn things on your own terms is
a key to success. Dartmouth gave me a thirst for learning. Learning is the key
to self-confidence, and self-confidence is the foundation for change.
2. Work hard with passion and courage. Life is a marathon of contribution.
You must work hard to accomplish something. But hard work over the long haul takes
happiness. Find your passion and get good at it. Competence is a rare commodity
in this day and age; and when you work with teams of passionate people, you can
solve any problem. I became chairman of GE four days before September 11, 2001—what
timing! In addition to the human tragedy, I saw planes with our engines hit buildings
we insured, covered by a network I owned. To be honest, I was a bit afraid for
GE and our country. In a crisis, leaders must get to work. We took care of our
people—giving $10 million to the Twin Towers fund. And, we got up the next
day and invested in the future. We worked around the clock for months, and today
we are a better company. But I learned a lot about the power of teams, the power
of hope, and the power of confidence. You must have courage. I had no idea where
my journey would take me when I left college, but I knew I would go at full-speed.
Have the passion to live your dreams.
3. Be a giver.
Chances are that you were a valedictorian, team captain, or club president in
school. So, you’ll be in positions where people look to you for leadership.
In the past, being great meant you had to lead by giving orders. Today it means
you can just lead by giving. And the best thing you can give as a leader is a
reason to trust. People want to trust. They’re hungry for it. But they’re
selective. They’ll only give it to a motivator, communicator, teacher—a
real person. Someone who in good times and bad always does the right thing. I
spend about 40 percent of my time on people, and despite what you see from Donald
Trump on “The Apprentice,” I spend very little time firing people.
Most times I’m teaching, helping people to be their best. Good leaders don’t
tell people what to do, they give teams capability and inspiration. I’ve
learned that there will never be success without friendship.
4. Have confidence. Have confidence in your ability to tackle the
world’s toughest problems. The world needs heroes today, so don’t
take the easy or predictable path. Dartmouth gave me a sense that I could make
a difference. Today I’m committed to improving healthcare and to find treatments
for Alzheimer’s disease. GE has invested billions, and I believe the technology
exists to find therapies that give people hope. Can you imagine how we’ll
feel when we solve this problem? And I’m confident we will. But there are
many jobs we must work on together. You can help to improve the quality of education
in this country. We’ve fallen behind on global competitiveness; and as both
parents and educators, we can do better. We must reduce our dependence on oil,
or there will be serious shortages. Use your brains and determination to drive
conservation and find alternative sources of energy. And give back to the institutions
that made a difference in your life. When the call comes, answer it.
5. Be an optimist. It’s easy to be a cynic today. People don’t
want to trust any institution. There are many reasons to expect the worst. But
cynicism is corrosive because it creates excuses. I’m not CEO of GE because
I’ve had a perfect career. Ten years ago I was going through a tough patch.
My boss, Jack Welch, said to me, “You know, Jeff, I love you, but if you
don’t improve I’m going to fire you.” That really got my attention.
But I was never afraid of failure. I realized that I was responsible for my own
success and that every day offers a new beginning. I was confident in my ability
to improve. So optimism is a choice. It’s a way of living—a way of
moving through the world. I’ve hired thousands of people, and I hire people
as much on attitude as potential. There is nothing less appealing than people
with a chip on their shoulder. And there’s nothing more appealing than a
can-do attitude. A sense of humor and the ability to laugh at yourself go a long
way in the board room, the operating room, at home, and in life.
If you go forward and build on your values, you can live a life that
will be both great and good. In my day, I was a frequently serious student, a
decent football player, and had fun. I learned a lot in the classroom, and I learned
a lot about myself. And I knew that college was the beginning, not the end. For
the last 25 years, I’ve had a career that’s been both interesting
and fun. Today I’m the 9th chairman in the 125-year history of GE. I run
a $150 billion company with 300,000 wonderful people. GE is the most valuable
company in the world and a leader in life-changing technology. I work for investors,
and I have a vast responsibility to perform for them. I have a powerful job, but
I’ve never wanted to be powerful. I want to be a different leader, judged
by what I do—not by how much money I make. I want to create a company that’s
powered by ideas, values, and people.
I’ve worked hard to get where I am, but I’ve also been
lucky. Every time I cross the Connecticut River bridge, I think of my parents.
Their sacrifice and vision for a great education has allowed me to lead the company
where my father worked for 38 years. I’m nobody special, but I’m okay
with who I am; and I don’t really want to be anybody else. I’m a son,
a husband, a father, and a business leader; I’m loyal to my friends, and
I love my family. I am, and always will be, an optimist. But the great part about
life is that sometimes ordinary people like you and me get a chance to do extraordinary
things.
If you’re wondering about the future, I want you to know that
there are some amazing days ahead. Ultimately you define your own success. Whether
you’re a doctor, lawyer, parent, or teacher, make five choices: keep learning;
live and work with passion and courage; give of yourself to earn the trust of
others; take on one of the world’s toughest problems; and be an optimist.
Commit to being both great and good in a world where the journey truly counts. PE
