Consulate General of the United States Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Keynote Speech at the 4th Focal Point Graduation Ceremony

by Kathleen Peoples, Da Nang Outreach Officer

[Focal Point is a center that features Highmark Business training, a two year program offered in many countries worldwide, and includes visiting business lecturers. In addition to business modules, students complete a three-week consultation tour of U.S. businesses and a U.S. home -stay. Focal Point enrollees are already owners or responsible managers of successful businesses who wish to hone their skills.]

Da Nang
November 29, 2011

To Mr. Nguyễn Cương, Chairman, Chamber of Commerce (VCCI) and Ms. Trương Thị Kim Ánh, Manager, Department of International Relations, and to the students of Highmark IV.

Good morning! It is a pleasure for me to be here today.

I bring you greetings from Mr. An Le, the Consul General of the United States in Vietnam. He sends his congratulations and best wishes.

I also want to thank Mitchell & Jennifer Kot for inviting me to be with you on this important day. When they described the Highmark program and the structure of Focal Point, their dedication to excellence and to the Highmark training process was very clear. And of course their passion for their students is evident in the proud faces I see before me.

I know that Highmark students are owners, directors, or officers of responsibility with successful businesses. So I congratulate you for completing this course! While dealing with busy schedules and family demands, you also persisted through two years of training, which shows determination. You had already accomplished important things…. but you grasped the reality that the world is changing, and to change with it, you wanted more knowledge.

Today, I am not talking to young students graduating from college, but to graduates who have a direction. Although your next steps are not necessarily determined, they are influenced by the businesses you have already built and now by your new knowledge. How will you apply it? Knowledge is a tool and, like anything else, must be applied the right way.

But, I must confess that I have no knowledge about the world of business, anything I say would probably be a review of what you already know….so how can I address you today? I will talk a little bit about knowledge itself! My father has a favorite proverb about knowledge:

He who knows not and knows he knows not---, He is a child--- teach him!

He who knows not and knows not (that) he knows not--He is a fool – avoid him!

He who knows and knows not he knows---He is asleep - wake him!

He who knows and knows he knows---He is wise; follow him! ------

Today, I’ll talk about using your knowledge as a business leader.

Today, you receive your Focal Point certificate or diploma. You have more knowledge and experience than you had two years ago. You “know that you know.” This means you can consider yourself wise (well….at least about some things!) And knowledge makes you a leader. You will lead companies….you will lead in your communities….and you will influence people you don’t even know, because they will watch you too. How will you lead?

The proverb has four parts: 1. He who knows not and knows he knows not, he is a child, teach him! So Leaders must teach.

Your business has experienced and new employees. To apply what you have learned here, you have to win their cooperation for making changes. Can you create an atmosphere that encourages people to ask questions, to report when they have a problem, and that encourages them to grow? Just as children in a family learn, your staff must learn the “culture” of your office from you.

It is up to you to “teach” a business culture that celebrates questions, honest service, responsibility, and innovation. You create an atmosphere where workers don’t hide problems or mistakes, where they can express a difference of opinion. You invest in them by teaching your business ideals and values, and educate workers to do their best. As a leader you treat your employees not as obstacles, but as people who contribute to your success. A noted teacher said something valuable for leaders. “They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel." A Leader must Teach.

The second sentence of the proverb? He who knows not and knows not that he knows not, He is a fool – shun/avoid him! How do you avoid “fools?” I say that a leader must remove roadblocks.

Leaders contend with two specific kinds of “fools” --- roadblocks within their organizations, that is, people who think they know a lot, but don’t! The first kind of “fool” tries to control other workers, or constantly criticizes colleagues. Such a person slows down production, reduces motivation and suppresses the talents of others.

For example---In one of my graduate psychology classes, a very smart student made a complicated presentation on schizophrenia. Another student asked if one symptom of schizophrenia could be related to another type of illness. The presenter laughed, saying there was absolutely NO connection between the two diseases. The questioner tried to say more, but the presenter was busy hinting that her question was rather stupid.

While he talked, our professor quietly went to the blackboard. She quickly wrote down the full references—volume, chapter, and page—for 3 journal articles that discussed the exact same issue while the presenter was saying there was no relationship! The class could see the teacher writing, but the presenter couldn’t -- until he turned to see what why people were smiling. Not just the arrogant student, but everyone learned that a good question or good idea can come from anyone!

Make sure your business doesn’t lose good suggestions or enthusiastic employees because of these “people” roadblocks.

The second roadblock is the person who is very satisfied with what he already knows. New strategies and operating procedures upset the routine. So he says the new idea is impossible and work against change. You, as a leader have to blast through these roadblocks to make progress. Do not tolerate posturing or internal hierarchies that cripple your business, but reward openness, team spirit, and flexibility.

Leaders move people roadblocks out of the way!

The third sentence of the proverb is: He who knows and knows not he knows, He is asleep - Wake him! How do you wake the sleeping? Leaders have to wake people up! How do you awaken people’s enthusiasm, get them to express their ideas, and inspire them to make an effort? Research shows that people respond to what is expected of them. When parents make it clear that they value good school performance and stay involved, their children do much better! Look for potential, and delegate an important task to a new, bored, or “sleeping” employee, and explain that the task will benefit your company. This will motivate him/her, and others too, if they see you give people a chance to excel and give support.

I remember being teased as a kid because I was too scared to climb to the top of a playground rope. My teacher saw me crying and asked why. “Because I don’t want to fall, I am too weak!” She looked stern-- and I thought she was ready to punish the kids who teased me. Instead, she looked at me. “Get started now! --by next week you must climb it! I’ll be checking!” I was a little afraid, so I practiced every day. And I succeeded by her deadline! She smiled and said…”I knew that you could do it!”

A firm conviction that people can accomplish great things, plus your encouragement will work wonders. Everyone believes that people are only motivated by money. But research proves that, for tasks where people must think and solve problems, money and big rewards can actually hurt their performance! People work best when they are given Automony—the chance to think for themselves, Mastery, the chance to develop skills and get better and better at something and Purpose ---the chance to contribute to something meaningful.

Notice what your employees accomplish-- give them opportunities to try something new, allow them to teach and mentor others workers. Leaders Wake people up!

And finally #4: He who knows and knows he knows--- he is wise; follow him. Let’s look at leadership.

I’m sure you have studied many styles, standards, and theories of leadership already. Yet, one thing bears repeating. Leading is not always done from the top or from the front. Before I came to Vietnam this September, I worked in Mali, West Africa. I met a former Fulbright scholar there, an English professor who told me a story about leadership.

While studying at a US university, he stopped by the faculty office. The secretary saw him, pointed to some boxes of books, and asked him to help carry them to another room. He felt very insulted. “I have won a Fulbright scholarship—I am here for my brain and not for my muscles.” He carried the boxes, but he was very angry. When he got back to the office, he was shocked to see the Director of the English Department bending down, to lift the next stack of boxes. “Then I understood….the director was carrying boxes. If he wasn’t too proud to help, who was I to complain? …

The meaning of his observation is clear. Leaders concentrate on getting the job done, not on status. This will truly make you a leader.

Lao Tzu said, “To lead people, walk beside them.” So as you leave Focal Point----

You implant the culture of your business –you teach!

You avoid fools –you remove or re-train personnel roadblocks! --

You delegate authority, and inspire your employees to contribute—you wake them up!

You work beside your employees to get the job done! You Lead!

And you also lead by Continuing to Learn.

John F. Kennedy said “Leadership and learning are indispensable (essential) to each other.

So today marks the end at Focal Point, but NOT the end of your education! So again, to Highmark IV—Congratulations!