Ginni Rometty, Chairman, President & CEO of IBM | MAKERS

growth and comfort never coexist and if you're gonna grow as a person as a leader you got to get comfortable with being uncomfortable you welcome challenge you welcome risk because you know you come out better at the other side I was born and raised in Chicago Illinois and I think I was always the one that was a sort of the mother hen of my brothers and sisters most of my memories are of taking care of them in one way or another I really love school I was always good in math I love this idea that you should be able to derive where everything comes from but I did a lot of activities I played basketball volleyball and I was student council president [Music] in that moment our world changed we went on food stamps and my mother felt too ashamed to have to do something like that and I can remember that pain in her eyes but she was determined that this would not be how this story ended and so she went back to school got a job and got a better job a better job and I watched my brothers and sisters it was one of the most defining elements of my life and we all learned you never let someone else define who you are only you define who you are I'll often meet people and they'll say hey I was with you in class I'm like that's interesting I'm sorry I'm embarrassed I don't remember you but there was like 30 of you and one of me so you probably remember me it was just not the norm I came from no money no anything to go to a great school and it's really though why I do feel so strongly that in this country where there is a will there is a way to get something done [Music] ten years into my career had been offered a promotion the man who had offered it said look you should take my job and I said oh I'm not ready for this thing yet just give me a little bit more time I went home that night and my husband looked at me he said do you think a man would have answered the question that way No so I went back in the next day I took the job he looked me and he said don't do that again I said I understand to lead IBM I mean wow it is with great gratitude and a great sense of responsibility but I didn't want the world to define me as the first woman CEO of IBM I just wanted to be a good CEO of IBM it was another pivotal learning point that you do have to recognize you are a role model that for people to aspire to be something it does really help if they see other people around them that are in that role and therefore take that seriously [Music] this era I believe will reflect back on data will be the issue of our time and handled with care you will solve some of the world's most intractable problems and that's behind all our investment in artificial intelligence and cloud the most important thing you have to do is have conviction about what you believe is right and then state your course [Music] when I think about women in the workplace it's about inclusion I do believe it's the company's job to create a good environment for that companies they will take everything you can give so you have to set your boundaries and that's what gives you your balance and I guarantee you most things adapt around them and so I think the state the focus on that of how to advance women it is a constant it isn't about one moment this is about continuity and about persistence that is what will solve this problem there is no doubt in my mind that attracting women and great people in general has to do with your values and you live them you live them every day not what you say it's what you do you

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Id: P-yM1cwjPiA

Length: 4min 30sec (270 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 26 2018