My dear brothers and sisters
and My beloved parents ,
I want to start by thanking
the faculty of the School of Business and Public Management for the wonderful
learning experience, and the officials of ?The George Washington
University? for providing me the
opportunity to address all of you today. This is a great honor, and I feel
privileged to be the graduate speaker of our school.
Imagine for a moment, what
would have happened to me and millions like me, if the United States of America
were not a land of opportunities. I
would not have had the opportunity to work for a Fortune-100 (One hundred)
company; I would not have had the opportunity to study in one of the best
schools; and I would not have had the opportunity to meet and interact with
some wonderful people. Opportunities aside,
after 9/11, I have been amazed by the resilience that this nation has shown in
the face of crisis. It is a great
experience to live in this country. It is in this country that one gets to realize
the complete meaning of ?freedom?. It is in this country that one gets to
realize his or her full potential. For the friendships that I have developed
here, and for my association with GW, I thank you all and Mother America, I
salute you with all my heart!
Qualities for successful
leadership are the cornerstones if our societies, the eastern and western
cultures, are to be connected. The first quality that defines a leader is the courage to dream; the courage to envision the goal, and the courage to set out strongly in its
pursuit. History is full of leaders such as Gandhi, Kennedy and King, who
dreamed the impossible and worked to achieve it. I invite all of you to be
daring to stick your necks out, to be daring to dream the impossible, for
history is but a product of the minds that dared to dream. What may be
impossible today is a possibility waiting to be created.
As we embark on our new
journey with the knowledge we gained
from GW , we should remember not only what we learned, but how that knowledge
was acquired. Therein lies the key to progress -- a key to achievement and a
key to success. Let this graduation day mark the continuation, rather than the
end, of the pursuit of learning and knowledge.
Our potential as leaders is
infinite. When we make decisions as leaders in business, as leaders in
politics, as leaders in our communities, and as leaders in our own homes, we should not forget the impact of our
decisions on others. In the information age, let us not forget the importance of
people, and what we all can achieve as a team. Sharing ourselves, being
vulnerable, even exposing our weaknesses will strengthen others? participation
in our dreams.
Last, but not the least,
let?s not forget the mantra of all great leaders -?Never give in and never give up!? There may be times, when we want
to throw in the towel. It is precisely during those times that we should not
quit. As Winston Churchill so eloquently put it,
"Never give in--never,
never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in
except to convictions of honor and good sense.''
If we dare to dream, if we
continue the learning process, if we remain sensitive to people, and if we do
not lose moral courage, I strongly believe that the world will be ours! There is a world out there that is waiting for
our services, SO LET?S GET OUT THERE AND
TAKE ACTION! I ask you to begin the journey in the right earnest. With due
regards to the presidential poet, Robert Frost, I want to finish by saying,
?The woods are
lovely, dark and deep.
But we have
promises to keep,
And miles to
go before we sleep,
And miles to
go before we sleep.?
May God bless US ALL AND GOD
BLESS AMERICA! Thank you very much.