Transcripts For CSPAN2 Leading 20240706

Colleagues at northwest is my absolute to introduce to you today. My friend Ginni Rometty before we get started i wanted to thank trustees gordon segal and bill white as well as many members of the northwestern Senior Administration joining us today. So met jimmy for the first time when she got the alumni award in 2010. By then she was in the list of 50 most powerful women in business and abc did her later that year in 2010 and i had a conversation her that prompted us to create the master of science analytics. We started with 40 students and a thousand applications. Of course, going down ever since. So thank you for proposing that. And then we had when they ibm anniversary was coming, a genius, one of the first stops was here not this building, but in the ellen center for the centennial lectures, ibm. That was in march 11. And then she invited to an absolutely amazing event coinciding with a United Nations meeting new york for the ibm one coming anniversary and shortly thereafter, she became the ceo of ibm and there was a transformational period. The company and i think questions will be about that probably not. But she got into cloud computing. Quantum computing and way, way before the things were fashionable as they are today. And in 2015 she received an honor particularly important to me. She was elected to the National Academy of engineering. I was able to meet her husband, mark, her sister annette, and she had a formidable mother, arlene, and denise stepped down from ibm in 20. Now, its not easy to find a second career is, especially after having a successful one, but things become when what one does is an extension. Have always lived your life. And i what you will see now as a consequence of the book and things that he did prior to a she became involved in things like skill first and a. A 110 that is trying to promote education for people without quality. So to say that jeanie has us proud is an understatement. She has given back to her alma mater, some member of the board of trustees and currently serves as the vice chair and she received an honorary doctorate in 2015. So please welcome help me or join me in welcoming jeannie rometty as well as president mike seattle, who will lead the conversation. Well. You go ahead. Thank you. For. Welcome everybody. This is a wonderful, wonderful opportunity. Ginni has always been a hero of mine and now i get to work for her the so. So they say you never want to meet heroes. Is that all right . Thats very true, i think. Oh, well, youre every bit as good as the heroics that i ive imagined in this book. All of you pick up copies. This is a wonderful book, really interesting, and actually showed me, lots of dimensions of, ginni as well as some really important lessons that were going to talk about the book let me first as president the university, i would be remiss not to ask you questions. Northwestern first and tell me a little bit. You arrived in northwestern in 1975 and you wanted be a doctor at that time. Oh what brought you here . Northwestern and how did you why you make the switch from wanting to be premed to being an engineer . Was it organic chemistry or Something Else . Yeah, my inability to do organic chemistry was it . Yeah. So ill answer your question, mike. But first i want to thank pouliot for that kind introduction. I have to tell you guys that. Who leo did come when i was inducted into the national of engineering, i thought it was one of the kindest things i know he was attending. And i just there he was, the audience. And so he made a trip to d. C. And i always remember who leo for that. That really meant a lot to me. So thank you for that. So what does my memory for some of you, you were obviously not born in 1970. How many were born in . 19. Maryland. Dont raise your hand. Were born in 1975. Okay. That only the front row. Okay. So then youre all thinking like, what does she have to say we would care about . But i went to northwestern. I had two choices. I could really only to apply to two schools. So i applied university of illinois. I thought that was maybe safe. And then northwestern and that would be my stretch and i couldnt afford school. So the only in one of the only things about northwestern was close enough to home. I didnt have to get on a plane, only been on a plane. One time. And this i could take a train. And as northwestern as to this day financial, aid is if you can get in academically, then help you with your Financial Aid. Because i had no money so it was one of two so you might. Right. Okay so i pleasant and you know got in why so i started as a doctor wanting to be a doctor because you know i would love to tell you it was a more sophisticated reason other than a very noble thing. And mike is right i really struggled in organic chemistry. I know if they you know, they still do the thing with all those little looks like, a little toy thing. You build your models and your molecules. But the thing i really struggle with which you are going to laugh at is i took a in human reproduction and i struggled it was the only course in four years at northwestern i ever had to pass fail. I thought this either going to kill my grade point if i do not do this. And so with that i thought this is a good future and i was already in the school of engineering, though, because it was biomedical engineering. I thought i would i would major. And so i over i was i always loved math and will come back to i mean i was love math because i never to memorize anything in my view on math was you could always you could understand root of things and rebuild everything there. And so i didnt have to memorize could always reconstruct and thats how i ended up with engineering. We might have been a great. But we know that you were amazing. No, an amazing leader. I was very happy. My niece became doctor and went to northwestern medical school. So that was about that. Now that urge, it all revolves. Yes. The job of a memorable experience from when you were a student here. Oh, i am many memorable ones. Not that anyone here cares about them, though, but do you . Yeah, actually. What are my memory . My memories are like my. First year was in Sergeant Hall and dont ask me why. The only thing i can remember is that even though i came from very poor family, id never seen a smaller closet and i dont know if theyve remodeled those rooms, i want to say is about like that. And i can remember i just asked julie if it was still there. I hadnt paid attention. I can remember vogel back was a computing center. None of you. Its not anymore. So you wouldnt remember it. One or two. And because i can remember Walking Around with boxes of punch cards, right . Carrying them under my arms to. Go. I actually remember by the the greek system here and i know thats maybe somewhat of a controversial subject in some ways. To me, it wasnt a statement of exclusion was more of a way to be included in things. So i have a very positive of it. Well, if you go to Sergeant Hall, i think youll find it. It looked just like it did when were here from the outside. It does. Yeah. So your book, it starts off with when you were 16 years old, youre dead before you get there. What . She warned me that she was going to. So what attracted to northwestern . This was your memories of virginia, ginny ramadi was of the trust. I dont think the as she was writing great book. No but what attracted me was we are a fabulous we we are so deep as well as broad we do we mix the creative with the Hard Sciences and our our faculty are so so great and. The universitys trajectory over the past 1015 years has been so that any person with a right mind when they were called by a trustee and you were on the committee, the, you know, you were called both trustee and you were asked would you like to be interviewed for the presidency of this Great University . Theyd be crazy to say yes. Its funny you say because i, i my memory for, all of you, some of you graduating or been here a while, i always say, why did i go here and i say, i felt what northwestern did was teach me how to think. And i said it was that right brain left brain. It was it was exactly as you described it which i really think is the future of how youre going to have to teach. So i say if it did nothing else, i learned how to solve problems. Right. And how to think creatively as well as critically. So back to the book. So back to the book. In your starts with a story of how when you were 16, your father left your family, your mother and your three siblings, one of whom in here, and is also a trustee he left before thanksgiving. How did that experience change you . How did that experience shaped the rest your life . Well, itll its very personal story to start on which people find it shocking me too by the way that i started there on the book and will back maybe later too. Why did i even write a book . It was never anything in my my wish list of things do. But what mike is referring to i grew up in a low income but normal very you know sort of low income family and lived in a suburb of chicago when you dont know any better you dont miss anything and but when i was my father you say left he abandoned our family and back. My mother was only 32 years old and she had kids. And i happened to walk into the garage and i heard him say to her, i really dont care whatever happens to you or that all of you and, for all i care, you can work on the street and in that instance i stood there he didnt. He turned around and he left and i watched my mom and i start there not to pull on peoples heartstrings. Its more defining what i learned from how my mother reacted to the situation. So it is not about being a victim. Its a celebration and it it is, i think, the biggest lesson of the book. So my mother, who had no education past high school, never worked a day outside the home, and now we found ourself on food stamps with no money. But she was so determined that this isnt this story would end for the of us and herself. So she got a little bit of education. She could work nights a little bit more education. She work days. I would watch my brothers and sisters a little bit more education. And eventually she ends up running sleep clinic for one of the big hospitals in chicago as administrator leading the administration. So in my siblings turn out even better i but what my mom taught us all and this is to sort of the greatest lesson ill get to why and wrote a book it was never let someone else define who you are only define who you are. And that when my mom had nothing. If she had power. The title of the book good power you know she had the power to change a circumstance and that idea only you defy i will find it to be true as life would go on that if i didnt define ibm somebody else would i would find it true for countries when you just let a president of a country of the fringe edges define the country. I mean it would always be true. I also learned and ill ill story i wont give a speech but i the other thing i learned two other things because i was not just by my mom, it was other strong women. My great grandma would be the last person alive in her family. War one come here, speak russian work third shift cleaning bathrooms. The Wrigley Building her whole life saved every dime in savings bonds that would eventually be what could buy us a car. Never complained my. Grandma was a widow twice by her 30th, she made handmade lampshade. So all three women. What i learned was. Hey, dont complain. Theres always way forward hard work, make Something Better and. Thats simple. And i you hard work is better and then with my mom the third lesson was look i came to watch my mom was actually pretty smart but she just didnt have any opportunity. Back to how northwestern offering Financial Aid and it was a really eye opening for me and i ive now this is what i spend my post career on that aptitude to spread pretty widely evenly in this world opportunity access or not and so what we can do that aptitude and access not equal always remember that when you hire and that would be a really a silver thread through my whole life and change my life of what i would focus on to get more People Better opportunities. So theres a long answer mike, but thats where it starts there. It starts a sad story, but its meant to be a celebration of never be a victim and, also an exemplar of good. It is is the exemplar of good power. Okay. So now tell us, your book is entitled so why would i do this . But no, no, no, i well, you to tell us why you would the book but also tell us what is good power and how is it a a theme that should help guide us so i when i retired and was retiring, you know, everything had been very well planned and it was actually hank paulson, who convinced me the most to, write a book. And he would say it. We would talk about the definition of power. So if i you how many people want to be powerful, raise your hand. Okay. Half the group and president. So im already not power. You are ready, everybody. You know your spot in that power . Yeah, yeah. Students so a little bit of mix, right . And i would find people that say some yes, some would say no. And im. Well, the irony is and theres lots of bad examples of power out in the world right now any given day and i started getting this view that hey but to solve a lot of these big problems you to have power so this is we were i had this and here ive had this kind very unique journey in that i have learned so many lessons a hard way. What got me was could i share that others would benefit from because this is not a vanity project. I had no desire to two years of my life i mean which i then found out what it took to write a book two years and so heres a simple definition its how to do hard things, but do them a positive way. If that matters to you and in posit if way meant in this day and age. If youre going to get anything done, you light conflict but you have to address conflict and division with respect and you have to be willing to settle for progress, not perfection in the answer. And if you do that kind of im. Youll make progress. And so that was the definition good power. So you have in front of you leaders of tomorrow and maybe Business Leaders of today as well some faculty. What advice would you give them for finding in themselves . Good power. And then being able to exercise it in a way that is influence and positive. You know, i so the book is complete revisionist history, if you understand what i mean. So this isnt like, you know, boy, was i smart. I led with good power. No no, no, no, no. And its written in a reflection of the power of me. We in us. And so my it my advice its you learn Different Things at different stages of your life so i hope thats part of what it teaches you and the first part is i would tell everyone you know it is worth close your eyes and who do you see when you think of your your very beginnings and what did you learn . Because thats probably pretty much the foundation of who you are. And just like i said about my mom, but would my advice probably my one if i could just give one piece the whole middle. Theres these five principles, but at the root of them is ask, ask more questions than you. Hmm. Could have been a law professor. Well. Well, lawyers get paid to just ask questions, right . Thats right. Yes, thats different. But that that idea what want to call it lifelong learning, curiosity. But its like this willingness to listen with an intent to something. I really felt that was at the root of being able bridge those tensions and divides. If i would listen to the other side and try to learn something i could make progress. We at one point in the book you talk about how you would one of your management styles was to get people to want to do something without you telling them to it and asking questions is one way to do that, right . Because not saying anything declarative, youre letting them lead themselves towards it. Can you give some examples of that . Yeah. You know, guys, i think again, many of you have worked many places, right . So everybody ive got people of different backgrounds in the room. To me, this idea at some point in your life, you start to care about people more than yourself and theres a transition and what mikes referring to, the first thing i think you have to sort get straight in your own head is if youre going to solve a big problem, you know, are you doing it in i call that being in service of something dont serve it and i felt i got taught that really early in life to be in service of something and if i was in service of something by you know just like if you go and have dinner if they just bring you your food it doesnt make it a nice night if the person kind of goes out of their way you have a nice evening theyre doing that theyre serving you first with the hope theyll get a tip asynchronous its not agreed up front and that to me makes a big difference in in Business Life of what you do and then this follows that is i found in some of the hardest things i did building belief is getting people to do something that they dont really believe is an alternate reality that you know so youve voluntarily got go somewhere i hadnt exactly thought about and so an example would be and i had to do this so many times first off, its better if you cocreate the answer with them if you know it, thats one. The second thing would be be very personal about. It the third thing would be is very authentic and honest about it. And i remember some of the hardest things i had to it. It is not about rah rah. Let me tell you all the reasons should do something. I had done the integration of two Big Companies, very Large Companies and they were humans, not parts. And so i used to say, okay, these humans can leave off door, right . Its going to be a lot of waste of money here if they leave and. To me, how you get people to believe is you have to appeal to their head and their heart at the same time and i used to work a lot with ken chennault, who ran american express. And ken would, always quote a quote, he said, the job a leader is to paint reality, but then give hope and the reality was the honest, authentic part. You know, i cant sugarcoat it. And then the give hope part is, you know, there is a companion piece to this and its a bit of head and heart if you think that that just got. No, i used to always ken with it. And so one day i dont know why i couldnt remember. It was a give her paint job. I couldnt remember. I order. I was like, google it and like, well, napoleon said it, you know. So i call ken about you got to quit this. I mean, it is really napoleon when you talk in the book a little bit, its quite a bit about him. Yeah. And about how important is being a mentor okay to you . What do you answer that first . You what is your view . But then ill give my answer on mentorship. But i want so, you know, i think that i a mentor who was my thesis in college and i wanted to be like him and he supported all the way through. And you when i was getting my first teaching job, they called him from the committee and he said, you really have to hire him. I want him to marry my the which i did did you know i did not do that would make the story better but the but you know it was having someone that committed to you who really wants to see you succeed and who is a model for you. Okay so thats what a mentor means to me, to you. So i have a different definition that i wasnt that wasnt just came up with that, but its i know its true that so a sponsor person was a sponsor. So for many you ill just share what my learning on this and i write a fair amount about it in the book. I think people have this vision that, hey, i got to have one supporter or i have to have someone pull me up through and so strongly dont believe that it goes back to thing i found the more i was to listen people, the more to listen to you, the more invested they became in me. And so my goal was to have as many people as possible, you know, have like this in networks that kind of a cheap word i dont mean it quite like that networking dont mean it that way but i once worked for someone who said me whenever anyone calls you for help, you give it and over the years i found okay ill thing think i gave what eventually come back another day in the form of sponsorship and so this idea my view for everybody is hey just back to be such a great and question answer and if you take personal interest in people they will really in the end either help sponsor you whatever it is, right. When its genuine. And so i try encourage people to like learn from many people as possible. And then honestly, you look up one day and they will be there and they will come back into your life at all the ironically and most important and that to is your way to build a long lasting network, be what it will be the greatest source of. Maybe talk about resilience, but the varied relationships be your greatest source of resilience. Harder the things you work on, because the harder work on them, the the more unkind the world is. Yeah. Oh, interesting. Tell us a little bit. Let me switch a little bit to. So you were obviously a trailblazer, ceo of ibm. You also were in a time when you were probably the woman in the woman in the room. A lot of times do you think of that as an impediment or looking back, was it an advantage to be the only woman in the room . Both. And so i didnt ask how many people are in the engineering here. Okay. A third. So what . My memories in in look, im in tech now, so that this is still not crazily filled with women and but back then, when my other memory of northwestern would be being the only woman in places, in fact i was at an event last week and they wanted to bring me a person to introduce me. And he was they said he was in a class. You dont you remember him . Im like, well, there was one of me and 50 of him, i dont you know, im so sorry. And im like, oh you look vaguely familiar and so in of course, i think i look the same, right . But probably not true. But that point it lowers. I see two sides to it. Now, this is to this to me. I write a fair i i didnt originally write about this in the book, but i was willing to listen to a lot feedback on the book before it got published in. Lot of people wanted me to talk about this, so authentically. What did i really feel and said, look, i was the only woman and it had a very interesting effect on me because i was i knew when i raised my hand and talked when i said would be remembered and i didnt want to look stupid and therefore i studied super hard. It would lead to like this lifelong over preparation point, by the way, but i would be so focused on that. So was that fair . I felt that way, no. Did it have this positive that what it was first like a shield that i felt i had to know more. But over time that would then become a source of confidence right and in that would be id be more prepared than others in the room right. And so fine but then i would start my career. Mike and i felt, listen, dont look at me as a woman, i went to Great Lengths to avoid all things that were gender related and at one point i, i can its one of those memories you have. I was down in Australia Financial Services and industry i know a lot about and i was giving a speech on it. Man comes up to me after and i thought was like a riveting speech and he comes up to me and i think hes going to ask me something about you know, something and he says, i really wish my daughter had been here. And in the moment its those epiphanies. I said to myself okay. And i, i was pretty rising up in my career that. This isnt really about me. This is the wrong way to look at. This question that people cannot what they cannot see. And honestly selfish of me to not want to be a role model and i had better start to embrace this being role model thing. So i say that in a way that i then much more active on the topic to just address it and talk about it. And as it was, time goes by. Even to this day i write about this in my other women friends who run Big Companies. I think collectively believe what we do personalized and magnified i can remember, you know, i would buy a big company in the newspaper, say i was on a shopping spree. Im well thats an interesting way to categorize that. 34 billion is not exactly a shopping spree. And its so now that good and bad, it was remembered. So, you know, i think it id like to think in 40, 50 years how far weve come. Although must say, i went to some of my very best friends is, you know, as the book was coming out in and in support, theyre like, i cannot wait. Show this to my daughters. I said, oh, you dont think you should read it . And so then i wonder, in all decades, right . And so its still so its what me then proactively address the topic. So what that the first second to bear ears and and hurdles how do you think we have progressed over time do we still have the same sorts of barriers. Yeah so here ill give a short answer. Okay. Okay. Because i can give long answers as im demonstrating. So the heres again for everybody i get asked a lot of questions about diversity and now and it starts with one really fundamental it, which i believe strongly in. Do you authentically believe a Diverse Workforce is a better workforce. Thats it you have to either authentically believe that or this doesnt go anywhere. I really believe it. Now, i had the pleasure. I worked for two companies that have long histories that are very values driven. And so i grew up in those environments that did honestly appreciate inclusion. So im lucky in that i was i was a baby manager in the 70 or 80 and i was i was ranked and if i had a group with minorities, it was a different world back then i was ranked and if i developed people i mean so this is like in my brain 50 years ago so i think but i then learned hey the more different people in the team better answer so do i think weve made progress i think those that really believe what i just said have made progress. I think theres a lot more to do because theres a lot of barriers to it. I theres no Silver Silver bullet. My short its like a million actions you have to keep raising bar on yourself to make people they can be themself at work no matter what background. Its not a just a gender point by anymore right and then be accountable. I can remember i was helping someone and he wanted it was about more women. And he said to me, i said, okay, now we got to publish those numbers. Hes like, you want to publish the numbers . I well, okay, this is like, you dont really believe this then, you know, we want to set salary parity. I said, youve got to then stand up for what you believe. Its just authentic actions, accountability. Its like, thats it. So i can predict this answer, but do you think theres anything in trends actually about women that makes them better leaders leaders . Ladies . You know. Okay, what were you going to. I would love to hear the prediction before i give it or youll tell me answer. I answer. I will tell you after i think particularly. I think theyre in in todays world gets back to this definition of good power is this a womens book or anybodys book . Anybodys book. I think people might im not from the humanities but maybe they call that traits of being authentic. I didnt say woman right, you know, being authentic, being good listener, being willing to bridge divides, bring people along. I think thats what i mean, my friend ran unilever, paul polman, he had just done this study recently, 5000 people and and all different category is in. The number one thing people were looking for is to work for someone authentic. Right, in a company that believed in something. And it doesnt mean you get to do that every of every day, by the way. But okay, so thats what i think that is and thats what like quote good power this you you you motivate with respect not fear and build with not you tear down people is what i think a lot of people want. So thats my answer. Is that what you thought my answer would be . I thought your answer was going to be something along those that didnt heavily focus on gender, but qualities of people. So i fulfilled. And then i was stereotypic. No, but im going to come back. You know, im a law professor, so im going to come back. Another question on the same subject, do you that those you called them, that they call them feminine are randomly distributed in the population . Or do you think that women, either by nature or nurture are better . I think i think some by nature and, by just some roles can find those more abundant. But i absolutely believe those are learned traits. They can be learned. So i very, very, very strongly about that. And so because one of the things i think you need in todays world is, you know, you you going to judge whether you think im good communicator or not, but is a good communicator. And i believe thats a science, not an art. Many people think, oh, man, i cant. Im not a good communicator. Like i was a horrible communicator to start. I got to get apps and stuff like that on that topic. And you know, in the end i up being a better, you know. I mean you could learn right on how to do that so. What would you say is your superpower. I should ask you if i even have one. Well i would. You know, ive known you only for months. I talked to jenny right when i was she was on the Search Committee that, landed me here and i think i dont know. I dont know. You extraordinarily well, but i would say certainly listening to listening to you over time, you have an authenticity and a sort of i am here you can believe what i say and im going to tell you what i say, even if you agree with me, im going to tell you what say and i think people respect that. Yeah, i thank you for that. I think someone once said i had a velvet hammer and you know at first i asked the person like, hey, is that like a good thing or bad thing . And because i was like kind of horrified by it and but i think it was that you could honest, but you dont have to do it in a way. You could do it in a way that it can actually helpful. And in way to do it. But i dont actually of having a superpower. Okay. So that isnt i think the paper career i and youre having thank you but that is a result of all of working with a lot of great people. All right. Let me talk about another aspect of, the book where you focus from time to time and the Lessons Learned from sort of leading an uncertain time. Yeah, thats a good and and today is probably uncertain than ever. But during your period, technology changed so dramatically in computer orders and in information technology, what are some of the principles that you think . So. Yeah. Can i jump . Ill just do try to do it shortened you know. Hopefully were not bored are we boring you there. Lets do it. Okay. Thats some okay. Front row sleeping. But just in the real audience. So not the real audience. So for those of you, did two mics point in, im really quite honest about this. I mean, when i took over ibm in 2012, you had just beginnings of you had cloud you had a. I. , you had data, you had just the beginning of social and mobile. I mean, cell phones had been out there all that long. And so technology usually has like one trend whipping and now theyre five. And we had done fantastic in the past, but we werent for the future and two out of ten people didnt. They had great skills for the moment, not for the future. So i wrote i had some of my greatest lessons about change in that timeframe. So one of them was the importance, knowing what must change. Okay, easy. More important i learned was what must. Id never realized the importance of that until i got into it. And i remember have a huge, huge, huge workforce and, a very Large Company in 170 countries. And, you know, half a million people. This is on scale and its easy because people would always write about portfolio change this change out build, do this, you know, and but the real question got to be, okay, what are we i and i and i always i can remember of those again, tiffanys stories, arnie meyer, arnie sorenson, who marriott had become a good friend. We both kind of risen up. He became ceo of marriott, arnie, his past. He was a great at this moment but one day so in that in that to like be everything new right and because the pressure is so on ibm with all these new other Companies Growing so fast around it and here we are the kid on the block. And i called arnie, im really competitive and im like, you probably had already figured this part out. I am like, arnie, let me tell you why we should win this marketing program. Know, and im telling him all the reasons and he to me. Jenny, jenny, why you just be the best ibm you could be. And i thought and we talked about it, he said, look, i count on you for the property management, the loyalty management systems, the things run like its all that Mission Critical work and what you care about this thing, i thought to myself, yeah, why do i care about this thing . And it would lead me to divest like 11 billion of businesses, not just that one, but that that thought. Look, what we are is mission work. That is what we are. Planes. No fly banks dont run. You know, nothing with what we do below the surface in that this other stuff is ornaments. Its like what makes you you and it also for a its that fundamental why like when so much has to change it gives them something to hang on to because. Its like yes this even if we modernize, write it. Because im not saying live in the past has to be modernized so i learned the enduring question another to others which was i would say to people okay again worlds moving so fast its uncertain all this change consumerism of use. Id be like, come on fast, faster, faster and felt like, you know, oh my god is like tongues hanging out fast and okay, two years their tongues are hanging out and im like, okay, but were not going faster. And i learned another valuable lesson. Its not like people wake up in the morning and go, oh god, i want to be slow today. It that i, i the big i we create that environment. You know. So whether its layers and processes and rules and tools and you have to change how people work. Right. So a big lesson that is kind of at handwritten at the end of the book is never forget that how you lead and how work is done just maybe more important than what is done and that was profound for me it took me a while to learn it you said like, what things do i wish i learned earlier . I mean, this would take me down a path of design, thinking, agile things do today natural. But back then on scales of hundreds of thousands was not true. And because had to, i had to give them to not meet the big i give them tools. So and then the last lesson i learned skills and it was because Many Companies go the skills they need, i would learn that was not the answer because i would hire new skills and i would have people with existing skills and i would learn the real winners were the two groups that were who from group was willing to learn the other side. And so it would make me learn this idea that the most important thing i could hire for was somebodys willingness learn. And in fact, it became then we changed everything about hiring to hire for someone to willingness to learn above all their other hard skills. Because in specialty tech, i mean, its going to change every 3 to 5 years. And so i and i realized, like, okay, if i hired someone who did the same thing for 30 years, odds of getting him to change is very low. And so it was profound in our hiring approach. Did you find it, given that theres some people who are resistant to change, did you find it difficult to make transitions for people, look, i gave people every opportunity in there are times you have to make very difficult decisions. And i think thats part of the book about hard stewardship means. You do the right thing for the long term, even if you know, you may not benefit from it. Now and you have to make those decisions. And i feel you give people every chance to change if they, you know, the institution to endure, there are more you benefit so many others. Right. And you got to move on. I talked to me about i the topic thats i love it so i unfortunate or like the product i wasnt a i before i was cool isnt there a song like that where maybe its a country western song or something or maybe i was into country before country was cool neither. So tell me how many people have worked with chet . Yeah me too. Okay. Shout some of the good things you documentation. You can use, not just like using easier input. Figure. Yeah. Documentation up examples on code. Anybody else get success. Then think thats good for brainstorming. Brainstorm. Yeah, you can teach you. Okay, let me flip the question. How about bad examples . Better. My, whats that one . The math. Bad math. Yeah. Its got to learn math still. Thats true. Is learning, though, incorrect citations, incorrect information. Go ahead. Carbon footprint is carbon yet you know thats a very smart answer that i have not heard many people but you are spot on that will eventually i think come into view is the Amount Energy it takes to answer some stupid question is that going to be a good thing a good for the environment, right . Yeah. How many of you are concerned about the future with generative ai . Yeah, at least half the crowd. Right. So i make answer because were probably running out of time. I see my little flippers going up and down the i feel. One of the most important principles of change now is for all of us to, be stewards of good tech, meaning bring this technology safely into the world. Im not sure that i think the way it was unleashed was the safest way because expectations werent properly. And i learned this with ai being one of the pioneers back in 2012. And what i would summarize is today the issue to me is its a trust not going to be a technology issue, meaning do you trust youll have a better and can you trust that this is explainable . It free of bias, it is accurate and its going to hinge that. I do think it could change a lot of jobs itll remove some like every technology has but it could also make us better. So i see a Glass Half Full and i see a glass half empty and i think of any technology out there right now. This is the one that needs humans to govern over. And i dont mean stop it. I mean be clear what its used for. Be clear what its not good at you. A knife can do good and it can do bad. Okay. And its got to have i think that government regulation i by the government some i think should be precision regulation meaning govern its usages not the technology. So i think its a fools thats a thats a very this is taped thats a very overstatement meaning its not a good to just say, oh, stop development of it. You cant ive tried to slow down Technology Waves look it took netflix. I read a thing netflix three and a half years to get to a million users. It took chat days and now its at like 150 million. So forget it out of the box already, but what you could do is say you use it in these situations. I dont want you using it in these situations just like we use our face to open a phone do you. I dont find that some people might find it offensive, but the majority does not. But you dont believe it should be used for racial profiling, facial recognition, right. So im governing its usage. And so thats what i think should. But then the rest is going to be about trust in your brand. And so because remember what this new form of api weve had five, four generations this stuff is its one big thing and i do worry about the dominance. That means that model sits in the hands of a few people and all its doing is predicting the next word, but its being trained. So if youre a company now, i would not use my secret to train because its being trained. Theyre not. I cant control it any longer. You give up your ip. So many things to be answered. But so my view on this is its a trust issue. I think its going to be up to of us as individuals and educate. And i think education could be the first industry to be disrupted. So we even had a chance. Well talk lunch about what . Northwestern it should. It could redo education. It maybe it will reintroduce Critical Thinking end because instead of memorizing stuff, you dont need to do it. The thing can summarize, you know now is not always right. Like my first came out i first thing i answer first thing i ask of course my sitting there like you are and i say, so who is mark rometty, who is mit mark and, you have to. And the answer i got back is it pages of all the things he did to run ibm and i looked at he he looks at it. Hes like, oh, get that printed. Hes like, finally i get the credit. I deserve. And so its not right. I mean, completely not right. I was with my friend who runs lockheed martin. It got her her husband is a professor of engineering at university, alabama hes not hes not that. So it not in so you you got to under so that doesnt matter its about what movie to see but it matters if its your Cancer Treatment or it matters really important questions. So anyways, i learned a lot about that. All a lot of tidbits about this is going to be a trust issue and making people believe that they have the skills to have a better future. Which takes me to what i do now, which is perfect. Can i say no . We have another, i think 12 minutes. I have some questions from the. Audience, but. Okay, go. No, no, no, no, no. Okay. This is where i want to go there. And here i am quite cognizant. Im in a university right. And i am cognizant. Im one of the vice chairs. Okay. So i but i do spend my life. It threads back to my mom. Access and opportunity are not equal my whole life was spent apprenticing. I on jobs that probably i should have had an mba francesca that i didnt. But i learned it another way and it taught me that please evaluate me for skills, not just my degree and a shocking number to is 65 of americans dont have a college degree. 80 of black americans dont. And i would learn in my time when i had to hire people and i couldnt find them. And unemployment high serendipity me work with some high schools, low income, Community College and i was able to them through internships and curriculum get degrees make great employees by the way not only outstanding by the way went on to get four year degrees it all proved my over and over again about this is not an issue of aptitude in the world and so on the murder on the heels of the murder of george floyd business looked for what could it do to really help address racism. I believe economic opportunities. The greatest leveler out there, people have good jobs, sustain a family that is one of the best things you can do. So with my a couple of my friends started a group called 110. I had been working on this now 15 years about i had read on all not me personally the team all of ibms job requisitions because we were 100 phds and university as a but were getting these great cyber people lets go look how many jobs re require a four year degree to start and i would learn about 50 of all jobs in america are over credentialed. It became easy after things like the gi bill put college required to start in all. My point is where you start should not where you end in some of us will have different on ramps like my mom and that idea ends up being very true and. So now im dedicated. The best way we could help the heels of of the murder of george floyd group 110 is 1 million black employees without college into upwardly mobile middle class jobs ten years and how were lifting the boats for everyone although thats like start up what we chose to focus on can frazier who ran merck can who ran amcs Charles Phillips ran oracle kevin shear ran amgen myself ken and i are the two cochairs and were working with all the Big Companies in the country to re credential their jobs, supply and demand can i fix the demand side so that when its not required to start, take it off and then build a whole culture around skills for your degreed people as well reward them for their skills. And then the other side is now can i get people who dont yet have a degree enough skill to get started in a job so they can begin their journey in . And i just think its like the root of democracy in this country. Ireland to me is one of the most if people do not a better future, theyd prefer an alternate system. And this is why im so committed to this work now. Sounds great. All right, ive got some questions. Yeah. Thanks for letting me. I do that my for the work. Well, youre going to all hire people. Always remember and you have it in the third section. It is a book called the power of us. Like if you think you cant change the system, youll see lots of ways i can change it. You dont need politician and you still think that there is a for universal like northwest course they dont you know your money has not been wasted and neither is yours the so let me ask the following question. Many ceos this is from the audience. Many ceos face strong incentives to maximize short term financial. These incentives can take the form of investor. Expect stock based performance pay or just the temptation to leave a hard choice for the next ceo. This is a particular problem for ceos leading companies where decisions might cost. Now, is this a book or, a question . Its a long question, but ill to the end answer with it. What would help a ceo take and take action on the long view . Yeah. Okay, ill give a short answer. I promise that. And done that. I really strongly. You have to steward for the long term. Yeah thats the bottom line. I think society you the right to exist and it it decides if dont balance those different constituents so can the ceo do that today. Yes and survive with a good board. They do, yes. And so i think thats the bottom line answer to that, because if you dont take care of customers, your, you know, business, your community, you live in, you know, the group. To me, thats what longevity of a company has taught me. And my other colleagues they would all say the same thing. Im not they would all say the same thing that you have to make those decisions even, though it may come at a personal cost, which i understand that quite well. And so you do that because if you dont, you know, society can revoke that license you to exist. And i think it only exists in the long when you balance those. The other question if you have the to change one decision you took your past professionally what would it be and dont turn it back on me. Okay. Okay. Mike knows i was like i worked for i have worked with you. I felt like i worked with my general counsel is a really wise lawyer. I considered him more counselor than even my lawyer and i would often say to bob, i, bob, i should i should have done a different test. I should have done this or done that. He he would always send me jenny do never revisit these decisions. He said, you you made the best decision could with the information at hand. So these are often hard for me to answer because i felt now what of that . However, ill answer then to say i a big believer to learn from your mistakes all right don define you learn from and what how i would answer that mostly is i would have done things sooner than later that would that would be like a general theme. And i swear everybody i know says the same thing i would have always done x or y earlier than waited. I dont know now what would your fast answer be . You know, my fast answer would be culturally given my religion i can be i have an unlimited of guilt and regret and so i, you know, i can come up with lots of things to be long list. I could come up with lots of examples, things that i would do differently. But as you go learn from them and just and and move on and take them as lessons and then be honest in talking about them and, you know. But i think that and you sort of use them as examples for other people. Yes, you should write of another book. I was looking the book youve written, by the way. Yes. So there were your honors right. How many youve read his books . Yeah, well, there you go. Okay. How about him . Am i right . Fewer than even. Okay. Okay. Even the one called property . Yes. Is that right. Yes, its a case book, which is really a yawner, but its. No, its like but i note theres ninth edition and its kind of called like the dont know, its like call the best edition or something or the clearest the concise edition concise. Im like, is there a non concise edition. Yes its there is actually i found that its big, weird was thinking that is so cute a. Concise edition. Okay. All right. So another question moving off for me to how your book describes a life that has been, you know, extraordinarily successful but extraordinarily challenged in terms of the work that did. How did you this is a no what im putting your editorializing. So the person out there said how did you balance your ambitions as as self care. All right. Well, lets set a good one to end on. Are we out of time because i dont want to 3 minutes people from eating so. Id give one piece of advice right and all these are like you said these from like i wasnt born with any wisdom the book is about like how i in way got to the some of these answers because i found like i worked because i loved it you know in around the clock around the clock. And there would be a time it would not be healthy for me. There was a time i, i think i weighed maybe £80 more than i weigh now. And i was tired and it was that was not good. So wasnt about looks. It was about my health and didnt have as much energy. But i had to do work. You and it took all my time and i think i ate. I was working and it was away and it was late and some of you can identify with that. Maybe some, but what learned about balance was on that case. I realized that, you know what, theres no such thing as a Company Giving me work life balance. My company. My bosses, they would take everything would give them. And i really cant resent that this theyre like an inanimate thing and the only person who could draw a boundary was me. And i did in little ways to start like, you know, take my self and im like, okay, i got to get healthy. Im going to start to like work out. Okay . This was not a big i mean, my first thing was a half an hour on a saturday morning. And even then i brought email with me and i did while i sat there in the old days that were printed, i but it was like the beginning and time went on and i would begin to say, okay, i am carving this amount of time and i am going to do that and i learned like the world moved around it. It wasnt really also and i tell the story people because i want them to understand that is choice to carve those boundaries in most of the time the rest will understand and work around it. That was one my biggest, my other big advice was i desperately that it was more about the quality of time gave other people than. It was about the quantity of time i gave them that if i could be that because those relationships would end up being, as they say, like chicken soup, your soul, whatever, that book was. And if i could be present in those moments, i would get so energy from all those varied relationships. But the primary one being the moment in the one with my husband and, i learned that i had to give him that quality time, right . Versus, you know, look at the phone every 8 seconds or, you know, id go to. The restroom and id be like can make like youre gone 15 minutes. Hes like, what are you doing in there . Im well, im on my phone, of course. Right. And so put the phone down, you know, be in the moment. Even though it may not be long so that carve your boundaries and be present were probably two of the biggest ways to do that selfcare that sounds great advice for us all. Yeah. Thank you, jenny. That my pleasure. Well, i have to say, know this is not the first time that i hear jenny talk and. So by now, my expectations were very for very low and still she still manages to surprise me for how insightful and inspired her and she is you said that the beginning you want we were going to judge you about how good of a communicator you were. Well, i really think you are the one of the most amazing communicator i have ever heard that. So thats beencologne, everyone. Hello, sylvia my name was elizabeth rule guess i am russian political scholar and left wing