In Search of Acres of Diamonds: Where Does Enduring Value Reside?

Thank you Dean Porat and everyone at the Fox School for inviting me back to my alma mater to share in this great event.   

Thanks to the faculty who help make this school the extraordinary place it is. Just as important as the facts, figures, and formulas you taught these graduates in the classroom - were the lessons you imparted through your own example that will last them long after this day: an insatiable curiosity, a hunger for truth, and a lifelong love of learning.

And congratulations to the families and friends of the graduating class -- especially the parents and grandparents who have ushered these scholars from diapers to diploma. Whether you came here today from just down the street, or across the country, or maybe even around the world… you helped make this day possible with your care, your concern – and often with your checkbooks!

And finally, heartfelt congratulations to the graduates here today! You made it! After four long years, you’re finally crossing the finish line! Some of you may be graduating Summa Cum Laude. Others perhaps Thank You Laude. But however you got here, you all should be proud of everything you’ve accomplished.

And yet, today isn’t about an ending, but rather about new beginnings… which is why this ceremony is called a “commencement” instead of a “conclusion.” Your diploma isn’t the grand finale… it’s more like the opening prelude -- to all the adventures, opportunities, challenges, and successes that lie ahead.

So today, I wanted to share a few observations for the road. And I thought I’d begin with a story that some of you may have heard before. The story was made famous by Russell Conwell -- the founder of Temple University -- who told it more than 6,000 times in speeches around the world. He called it “Acres of Diamonds” – he first heard the story back in 1870, when he was touring the Middle East, led by a local guide. One evening, the guide told Conwell a legend about a wealthy Persian farmer. This farmer lived on a gorgeous estate full of orchards and abundant fields.

He wished for nothing. That is, until the day he learned about diamonds. Someone told him that with just a handful of diamonds he could buy an entire country. And suddenly, the farmer who been so happy felt discontented. He hated to think that such vast wealth existed that he did not have.

So he sold his farm. He left his family and went off in search of diamonds – touring the world, roaming far and wide… but he never found a diamond mine. He lost all his money, his health, and his spirit, and died a broken man.   Yet, the story continues.

One day, the man who’d bought this farmer’s estate noticed something sparkling in the sands of a shallow creek. It turned out that the largest diamond mine in the history of mankind was right there on the property – acres of diamonds, with each gem bigger and more beautiful than the next. Well, for Russell Conwell, the moral of the story was clear: Don’t go searching the world for diamonds, because the diamonds are right there in your own backyard – as long as you’re willing to dig for them.  

And in many ways, this university became the crown jewel in Conwell’s collection – a dazzling temple of knowledge, learning, and talent for all to admire.

Now, digging for diamonds in your own backyard need not literally mean staying put. It’s about knowing the difference between material wealth and wealth of mind and spirit. Because where, after all, does lasting value reside – the kind of value that, like a diamond, is forever? As you go forth to launch your careers and build your lives, where and how will you find true richness?

Let’s start with career. Most of you entered Temple at a time when the economy was growing. Now, things look different. The headlines are full of foreclosures and job losses.  Hundred-year-old companies that made it through the Depression are struggling to survive the credit crisis. The impact is being felt from Wall Street to Main Street and around the world.

And it may mean some of you have to reassess the career path you thought you were on. In 2007, more Fox School graduates went into finance than any other field. Today, the path that leads to Wall Street no longer looks as inviting. But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another one always opens. This may feel like an unwelcome detour, but it could be a great opportunity.

This could be the time to pursue that great entrepreneurial idea you’ve always had… or to serve that nonprofit you’ve always admired… or to try something totally new - because things don’t always turn out the way we planned… But they do have a way of turning out, as long as we keep moving forward wisely, instead of pulling back or standing still.

This will be true for our economy. I’m confident our nation will emerge from this crisis even stronger – especially if bright young people like all of you are applying your creativity to the challenge. And it’s true for us as individuals. You may find yourself stumbling over a diamond you never actually looked for. And it may look a lot more like a rock than a gem. But if you take the time to polish it, it will shine.

Let me give an example. I’ve been at Lockheed Martin for 23 years – ever since I left Temple. I made my way up from a systems engineer at a facility in King of Prussia… to a Chief Information Officer for a business area… to head of audit for the corporation… to CIO and vice president for the entire Lockheed Martin enterprise.  And I love my job and look forward to getting to work every day 

But back when I was closer to your age, I had a terrible disappointment. There was an exclusive technical leadership program for young employees within the corporation. It was very prestigious, and I thought it was a very important pathway to moving up. I put in for it. I got an interview. But they said I lacked leadership experience. They told me I should get some more know-how under my belt and try again.

I was disappointed but still determined to get into the program. So, over the next year I worked hard, grabbed any leadership role that came along and learned everything I could. My hand went up for every task. Lead the fire drill? I’m your girl!  The following year I applied again. This time I was sure I had it in the bag. Then I got the call – and this time they said I had TOO MUCH leadership experience to qualify 

Well! I brushed myself off, but I have to admit, inside I was pretty devastated.

Until finally I realized I’d already done what I’d set out to do. I’d learned new skills. I’d gained a new level of confidence. And I had a great time along the way. And two weeks later, I was promoted into a great leadership role – an opportunity I would have missed if I’d gone into the training program as I had hoped.

Because in the end, that program was never the only path to progress and success. What I needed was energy, passion, and commitment – and my diamond revealed itself. If you are looking for lasting value at work, don’t focus on what you think will bring prestige. The value that counts is what you bring to the job, and what the job brings you. It’s when you’re truly passionate about your work that you’ll unlock your greatest potential. And to borrow a line from that great professor Oprah Winfrey, if you can get paid for doing something you love, then every paycheck will feel like a bonus.

The second key place where true value resides is your storehouse of personal integrity.  

It’s nice to have diamonds. But not if you get them by stealing a bracelet from Tiffany’s. Your personal integrity is worth a lot more than any price tag you can imagine. And once you start drawing down on that account, it’s very hard to build it back. In recent years, our nation has witnessed glaring integrity deficits – in the political arena… in the private sector… in the lives of some public figures. From predatory mortgage lenders to Ponzi schemers to office holders’ abuse of power, we’ve seen how much harm can be wrought when people start acting like the rules don’t apply to them.

I hope that you too will hold yourselves to your own highest standards of honesty. The truth is not negotiable... and no matter what your future brings, don’t let your integrity become negotiable either.  

Finally, wherever you dig for your diamonds, whether it’s here or halfway around the world, know that what makes it all worthwhile is the company of people you love.

I’m a Croydon girl. And I spent most of my life not too far from here -- until three years ago, when I moved down toward DC, the capitol of the nation. Now I can say I live near the U.S. Congress and the White House… although I can’t seem to find a decent tomato pie or cheese steak to save my life. But at the end of the day, when I think about “home” it’s not wherever I might happen to live. It’s wherever I am when I’m surrounded by family and friends. They’re the ones who give life its meaning. They’re the ones that make me feel rich. Forget about diamonds. The people I love are the greatest treasure I’ll ever find.

And I know each of you have lots of people who make you feel that way too. I see so many of them, smiling proudly, here for you today.

In fact, when I look out on this wonderful assembly , what I see is an acre of diamonds.

Congratulations, Temple graduates! Now get out there and shine.