Karen S. Rohan, President, Aetna, Inc. Becker College Commencement Saturday, May 9, 2015 Thank you President Johnson for that gracious and warm introduction. I also thank you members of the Board of Trustees.college administrators and faculty.parents and students.. for the privilege of sharing this occasion with you. After today, I ll be able to refer to myself as Doctor. Doctor Rohan. That has a certain ring to it. But as much as I m an advocate for wellness, I m not a doctor, and I don t play one on TV. So if you don t mind, I m going to stick with Karen today. I know formality matters on an occasion like this. We call each other by titles.we dress in formal robes. But I have to be myself - especially when I m about to advise you to do the same. Becker College means a great deal to me. I have had the unique experience of working with President Johnson on the Women s Leadership Institute. I also admire this institution because of what it offers to students: in Becker s words, a transformational learning experience anchored by academic excellence social responsibility.and creative expression. Today, I d like to talk to you about the transformational learning experience called leadership. And why? Because leadership is also anchored by excellence, responsibility and creativity. Before I do that.i would like the class of 2015 to join me in thanking some special people. Those who have transformed you the many family and friends teachers and tutors and so many others who pushed you, and yes pulled you, pestered you and prodded you, to reach this momentous occasion. Now, here you are, and suddenly I m the last thing standing between you and the world the real world. For some of you, that might be a reason to hope for an especially long speech to keep that real world at bay. just a little longer but I m 1
guessing most of you as I vaguely recall from my own graduations aren t interested in a long and boring commencement address. So I ll keep this simple, because my message is quite simple. I want you to look at where you sit...right now. And I want you to lead from right there, right now. Not someplace else. Not another time. Not in someone else s path, or toward another s dreams. Let me explain. I want today to begin a journey of leadership and determination.of achievement and resolve.in the path you choose. I want you to go forward in the full confidence that no matter where you sit, you can take a stand. You can lead. And you must. That chair, and the diploma you receive today, will propel some of you to prominent heights. Perhaps, like me, you ll have the privilege of leading a large company. Maybe you ll serve in public office, or defend our country in uniform. Some of you will start nonprofits; others will start for-profits. But many of you will lead in quieter moments. and less visible places. Your leadership will be no less important. In fact.it may be more so. You see, to lead is not merely to be in charge. That s just the superficial definition. To me, leadership is about taking a cause, and standing your ground. It s about driving toward that in which you passionately believe. stand. Wherever you are, lead from there. Because wherever you sit, you can take a You can lead from where Savannah Scarlett sits. Savannah, would you please stand? Savannah is receiving a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science today. She s served in many leadership roles here at Becker. One of them was starting a Red Watch Band program. It s a bystander prevention program that trains students on emergency protocols, so they can help others who may be struggling. It was an act of leadership when Savannah trained for the program herself, but like many such acts, it led to more. She became a peer trainer so she could train others. Savannah took a stand... and I know she will do much more. Thank you, Savannah. Wherever you sit, you can take a stand. You can lead from where Ian Donovan sits. Ian, where are you? Please stand 2
Ian s receiving his Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies today. His scholastic achievement, excellence in character and leadership has been exemplary throughout his Becker career. He s been a peer mentor for the First Year Experience Program, a volunteer mentor and tutor for the Divisions of Academics and Student Affairs.. and a Resident Assistant. Ian knows what it means to lead from wherever you are. And he will bring that leadership with him to the Northeastern University School of Law in the fall. Thank you, Ian. Wherever you sit, you can take a stand. You can lead from where Rich Metellus is sitting. Rich, would you please stand? Four years ago, Rich was recognized as Becker s outstanding freshman. Now, he is the recipient of this years President s Award. You all know about Rich s leadership.. because you helped recognize him for this award. Rich was also the recipient of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators To Catch A Rising Star Award.which is given to leaders who exceed all expectations on campus. Rich will continue to exceed expectations as he pursues a Master s in Higher Education at the University of Maine. Congratulations, Rich. Savannah, Ian and Rich are examples of how each of you can lead because no matter where you sit. you can always take a stand. I d like to tell you what I ve learned about leadership. Well, maybe not everything. That could take a while.but there are three things that rise to the top of my list: One, find your breaking point, then stretch beyond it; Two, be authentic; and Three, find your passion. First: Stretch to your breaking point and beyond. So, what s your breaking point? It s actually the point where you make mistakes. Because the moment you try to stop short of it, you can be sure you re stopping way short of plenty else. Reticence is for followers. Leaders are bold. They take risks, and people who take risks make mistakes. Those mistakes are part of a full life. Part of a leader s learning. Let me share a few of my stories about being bold and learning from mistakes. 3
Early in my career I had the opportunity to take an assignment in human resources. Now, I m a CPA, which is all about numbers and calculations. Human Resources is all about people, it s more emotional. The two could not be more different. Every counsel of prudence said to refuse the assignment. There was every reason to be afraid. But the reasons to be fearless were more powerful. So I took the assignment. And it worked. because I managed from what I knew and had no fear of admitting what I didn t. I was faced with a similar situation just a few years ago. The CEO of Aetna asked me to lead one of the biggest health care acquisitions our sector has seen in recent years. At the time I was brand new to Aetna, and knew very little about the company we were acquiring. It was a stretch..and I took it.. Because when you stretch beyond your boundaries you can achieve things you never thought possible. Of course, I ve had failures as well. As I told you, there will always be mistakes. One of my most palpable mistakes was when I was one of four people leading the sale of a business. To make a long story short, there was a problem with the financials. The whole deal could have collapsed. It worked out in the end but it was a personal failure nonetheless. But we learned. We fell down. But it made standing back up feel that much better. You know, I come from some tough circumstances. My mother struggled.. and my aunt mostly raised me and my family. And if you d taken a look at any of us, you d have said we didn t stand a chance. The problem was someone forgot to tell me. Or if they did, I wasn t in a listening mood. Neither paralyzing fear.. nor permanent failure. ever stopped me. They simply never did. And I hope they don t for you. Fear, yes. Failure, unavoidably. That s life. But fear is there to be fought and failure is there to be overcome. Stretch and lead. But where? And how? That brings me to: Leadership Lesson Two: Be authentic. No matter where you are.. never forget who you are and what s important to you. Be true to yourself. Stand up for your convictions. I am President of Aetna, one of the largest companies in the world. But I m going to brag about just one thing today. I got here the right way I did it by being myself. Over the years, I ve evolved as a person and as a leader. But who I am at my core isn t all that different from who I was when I was sitting in your seat. That s because I ve never tried to be anyone but me. Here s a very humbling story I want to tell you from a few years back 4
One late Friday afternoon, I received a frantic phone call from the mother of young woman who was insured through my former company. Her daughter had been struggling with anorexia. She was in an intensive treatment center and was about to be released. But the daughter was showing signs of backsliding. She was at a dangerously low weight, depressed and very weak. The mother tearfully explained to me that she feared the worst for her daughter if she were to be removed from the facility too soon. So I told our team to take another look. I asked them to look beyond the policy and do the right thing for the patient. And that made our decision clear. In a matter of hours, we had authorized an extended stay at the young woman s treatment facility. It was the right decision. I hadn t thought much about it until a few weeks later, when I received a touching and heartfelt letter from the young woman s mother. The letter was a surprise, but I was even more surprised when she thanked me for saving her daughter s life. I m a CPA.a business executive. How could I save someone s life? It s a lesson I will carry with me always knowing the simple act of taking a phone call..and really listening.could have such a profound impact. Today, that same young woman is taking her own stand. Helping mobilize the next generation of leaders through Teach For America. You see leadership, just like most parts of life, is always about people. Never forget that. As a leader, you ll be faced with many decisions and dilemmas. Being true to yourself being authentic.. will always give you the moral compass you need to move forward. Confidently. So the safest bet is to be yourself. Be authentic. Always. Authenticity and number three: Passion. Be passionate about leadership. I didn t build a career in health care by accident I have a passion for wellness. My company is a global leader in this space, and I m proud of it. But do you know what my proudest moment of wellness leadership was? It was one that will never be in an annual report. It won t move markets. Wall Street analysts won t know or care. But it was leadership the kind anyone here can undertake. And here s my story: 5
Several years ago, I was the executive sponsor of a road race in Falmouth, Mass. The sports editor of the Cape Cod newspaper interviewed me. He was out of shape, and I asked him instead of reporting on the race, how about running in the race. with me? He decided to take my challenge. And you know what happened? He lost 60 pounds!...and he s stayed focused on his health. to this day. And I m still challenging people to be healthy to this day. For the past few years I ve served as an executive sponsor of the Komen Connecticut Race for the Cure. And every year I ve challenged more and more people to sign up and join Team Aetna. In the first year, we had a little over 100 people. This year, our team will be over 600 strong! That s the power of passion. You have yours. Find it. And lead with it. As you begin your journey into the real world someone I promise this will tell you no. Get used to words like. impossible. Impractical. No don t just get used to them. Embrace them. Every time someone tells you can t do something, let that fuel your drive to take a stand. Sometime and I mentioned this before you will fail, just as I did. Accept this. No don t just accept it. Embrace that too. Because you will learn. You will stretch beyond that threshold of risk.. to the point of inspiration. And inspiration is a powerful force. Let me leave you and get out from between you.. and a world that awaits your leadership with this one final thought. Becker has already equipped you with the tools you need. And Three words. Be the change. They are the motto of this college and the message of this speech. For change is forged by the hands of leaders. Bold, authentic, passionate leaders who are not afraid to change the world. For some, it intimidates. For you for the Becker class of 2015 it exhilarates. So go from here. Be the change. Lead. From wherever you sit take a stand. Thank you, and congratulations to the class of 2015. 6