Speaker Review: Martin Jacques

On a recent Friday night, I found the free time to watch a TED talk by British economist Martin Jacques.  He eloquently examined the rise of China as a global economic force.  In May, I will be visiting China on a shortened study abroad trip organized by the Institute for International Business.  Here are the key takeaways from his lecture.  

China will continue to change the world

China’s population is 1.3 billion, and within a decade, it will have the largest economy in the world.  For the first time in the modern era, a developing country will have the world’s largest economy.  

We should not assume that modernity equates to Westernization.

China will remain very different than the West.  We should not attempt to understand China in Western terms. We cannot understand China by using Western concepts.  Attempting to comprehend China through a Western lense is the reason why we consistently misunderstand China. 

China is not a nation-state, but a civilization state.

In China, family, Confucian values, and role of the state are shaped by culture rather than the state.  China is enormous in terms of geography and population, therefore decentralized.  However, the most important political value for the Chinese is unity.  We were wrong about our prediction on the downfall of Hong Kong in 1997 because we had a nation-state mentality.  China consists of one civilization yet many systems.

The Chinese state

Jacques pointed out that the state is given a special significance as embodiment of Chinese civilization.  The government is viewed as patriarch of the family, and therefore, its influence is embedded in society in a different way that the West.  The state’s authority flows into the economy and public infrastructure.

Unlike the West, the power of the Chinese state has not been challenged for 1000 years.    

America must respond accordingly.

The world will be shaped by cultures we do not understand and are unfamiliar with.  Given the rise of China and India, civilizations and cultures that didn’t have a voice now will have representation.  

Speaker Review: Andrew Ross Sorkin

Recently, I had the fortunate opportunity to attend a lecture by Andrew Ross Sorkin, the author of the famous book, Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the FinancialSystem--and Themselves.  The following morning, I was privileged to be present at a breakfast sponsored by the Association for Corporate Growth in downtown Kansas City where Andrew spoke again.  As many of you know, Sorkin is a financial columnist for The New York Times, co-anchor of CNBC’s Squawk Box, and the founder and editor of DealBook, a financial news service.  

Sorkin started his lecture by stating he wants to have a conversation about the U.S. economy, the financial crisis, and where America is headed in the upcoming years.  Before the conversation started, Sorkin shared the impetus for his book--after a conversation with his wife at 2:30 A.M. amidst the downfall of Lehman Brothers and the bailout of AIG, she told him, “This is like a book.”  During the writing process, Andrew met with an employee from the New York Federal Reserve, who showed him projections of what would happen to unemployment if the government did not pump billions of stimulus dollars into the economy.  The statistics were sobering, with unemployment reaching 24.6% within a year.  As a result of this encounter, Sorkin identifies himself as a Keynesian with regard to economics.  He believes the government needs to spend more infrastructure to stimulate demand.  

He then spoke extensively about the sovereign debt crisis facing Europe.  If Europe’s financial system collapses, the effect will be a global recession.  I’ll be very interested to see how the situation in Greece affects global markets, and whether Portugal, Spain, and Italy will receive bailouts as well. 

As any good speaker does, Andrew ended his speech with a call to action.  He believes Americans need to become more patient, and cited statistics to support his theory that Americans are terse people.  Unquestionably optimistic, Sorkin also believes Americans need to take responsibility for how we got here.  

-The average shareholder is in a company for 2.8 months.

-The average CEO holds the job for 2.1 years    

Sorkin was certainly articulate, and he has a strong command of the English language supplemented by an impeccable ability to recall details.  His journalism background and interest in finance have worked together in tandem to give rise to one of the leading voices of the business world.  

Speaker Review: Tony Batman

As a part of my Accounting 303 class one year ago, I was privileged enough to listen to a reputable professional in the field of accounting.  Two weeks ago, I returned to hear Tony's annual talk to the Accounting 303 students again.  Stephen "Tony" Batman is a visionary entrepreneur whose accomplishments have vastly impacted the accounting and financial services professions.  He was voted one of the most influential accountants in America by Accounting Today magazine for 13 straight years, and he is a frequent speaker on financial services topics and a leader in wealth management.

Tony is chairman, CEO, and co-founder of 1st Global, a financial services firm that offers business development advice to leading tax, accounting, and law firms.  In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant, Tony is a Charted Financial Analyst, and a Certified Financial Planner.  Because Tony is a graduate of the University of Kansas, he serves on the board of advisors to the School of Business and also gives talks to students on occasion.

I was first impressed with Tony when he walked around the auditorium, shaking hands and asking each student who had arrived early questions about themselves and their major.  One year ago, he asked me where my home was and what my major is.  When I told him I was majoring in accounting, he said I had made a wise choice.

He started off his presentation with an inspiring statement, "I am the person I am today because of three things: the books I have read, the places I went, and the people I met."  He went on to say he is an average guy with insatiable curiosities.  He then established rapport with the crowd by saying that when he was in college, he was overwhelmed by "choice anxiety", or being unable to choose a major.  He was caught in what he dubbed "the opportunity wedge".

At this point, I was expecting him to ramble on about his accolades and achievements.  I was proved wrong when he said that all of us seek three things in life: happiness, significance, and lives of meaning.  Needless to say, this statement captured my interest.  

Although Tony had some excellent insights to share, I was disappointed and confused by a few of his statements.  First, he claimed adrenaline is the cement of memory.  Does this mean the more ramped up we are, the more we will remember?  It is difficult to retain much information when overcome with anxiety or excitement.  Second, he claimed to be a strong supporter of Ayn Rand, the Russian-American novelist and dubious philosopher. Ayn Rand's philosophy is not philosophy, but pseudo-philosophy.  In her writing, Rand ignores the basic tenets of logic and ethical reasoning by claiming that unfettered capitalism is the only moral social system.  Third, he asserted that by listening to him, we could internalize his own experiences and make them our own.  Empathy only can take a human mind so far.  As my world religions instructor put it, "Words limit the experience".   Eventually, you will have to actually go to a place or have a particular experience to get the essential knowledge you want.  

He then transitioned into the topic of education.  At this point, he asked the audience what the purpose of education is.  One year ago, I raised my hand and when he called on me in a class of over 300 students, I said, "To expand our knowledge and to expand our opportunities."  He agreed entirely.  After a few more answers from the audience, he said the purpose of a professional education in the school of business is to master the language of business, which is accounting.

Next, Tony changed gears and spoke about the real business world.  He said Wall St. and the "real economy" are often demonized by politicians and journalists.  In fact, it is business and commerce that have solved more of society's problems than government he stated.  He said the highest form of compassion a human being can have is to start a business because jobs are created and livelihoods are enhanced.  He went on to say that if you want to prove your value to society, you do that by consistently solving complex problems for others.

I want to draw attention to just how much truth the content in the preceding paragraph contains.  Think about the drugs we take, the products we buy.  Almost everything we own was developed by innovative, visionary people and companies working with the aid of the free market to market, produce, and sell their inventions.  When the government intervenes in an economy to a great degree, the prices of goods and quantity of goods produced in a given market are both thrown out of equilibrium.  Thus, there are shortages and surpluses.  One does not need to look further than the Soviet Union for an example of how price-fixing can result in starvation of a citizenry.

He then went into great detail about his own personal journey to successful CEO of 1st Global.  In short, he started as a farm boy in a Kansas town near Salina.  He attended KU and majored in business.  Upon graduation, he applied for jobs at all of the Big 8 accounting firms and was hired by Arthur Anderson in 1979.  From there, he became the Vice President of a real estate company, then switched over the private sector for another V.P. job.  After that, he decided he wanted to start his own business in 1992.  He said the most valuable lesson he learned in his career is that honoring your promises you make to people is the anchor of happiness.  Then, he said as an entrepreneur, he is often asked the question of where his inspiration comes from.  His answer is simple: lots and lots of experience and reading constantly.  He also mentioned that courage is important.  Here is a quote, "All great living is caused by never playing the coward's role."

After Tony finished his presentation, there was a brief question and answer session that lasted about 15 minutes.  The first question was whether accounting is a time-consuming profession.  His answer was absolutely yes.  He said he spent 3,000 hours a year working at his first job at Arthur Anderson and gained a plethora of experiences.  The next question was what he looks for in an interview.  Tony responded by saying that the most selfish words a person can use in an interview is to inquire how this job will help your career.  Second, the best question an interviewee can ask is, "How can I contribute to this company?"

All things considered, the good messages in Tony's talk far outweighed the confusing parts.  I am fortunate to have listened to such a highly regarded and well-respected professional.  What impressed me far more than anything else was his attempt to connect with his audience by taking the time to personally introduce himself to the students who had arrived early.  My takeaway: you can be inspired on Friday mornings. 

Speaker Review: Adam Carroll

As a part of the Alpha Kappa Psi Convention in Phoenix, Arizona last week, students and alumni were encouraged to attend the College of Leadership, a series of talks by business professionals.  Quite honestly, some of the talks were outstanding while others were lacking.  As is usually the case with these things, the speakers were hit and miss.  However, there was one speaker who absolutely blew me away.  His name is Adam Carroll, and he is the co-founder of an organization called the National Financial Educators, which was founded to educate young people in high school and college on the issues of making, saving, and spending money.  In his breakout talk, he covered four crucially important topics- vision, remembering names, connecting people to other people, and always doing what you say you will do.  

Adam started off his presentation by saying his mission in life is to help young people succeed professionally.  After a horrifying story about how he rolled his car end over end while on the way to Fiji, he discussed the importance of having a vision.  High-impact leaders connect everyone to a common goal, which is called a vision.  Adam explained that we must never lose focus from the goal no matter what adversity we face.  

The networking element of Adam’s presentation was the part that impressed me the most.  He created an acronym from the word, “Power”.  Power stands for “Promoting Opportunities While Establishing Relationships.”  To be remembered, we need to stick out in people’s minds.  That’s why Adam recommended asking new people questions out of nowhere to be memorable.  When Adam meets someone for the first time, he asks them, “If you had $1 million, what would you do to give your life meaning?”  We live in a transactional society, not a relational one.  True power is selflessly giving everything you can to get other people to where they want to go.  If you selflessly connect enough people to their dreams, you will gain a reputation as a person who knows how to make things happen.  

Perhaps the most powerful part of Adam’s presentation came when he demonstrated his theory of connecting other people to their goals.  He asked for a volunteer, and a young girl from Toledo, Ohio stood up.  Adam then asked her, “What is your dream job?”  She said she wants to create a non-profit organization for orphans.  Adam then asked around the room, “Can anyone help her achieve her goal of creating a non-profit for orphans?”  Immediately, three hands shot up in the air.  Adam selected one, who said he has a friend involved in international non-profit organization designed specifically for helping young children who have lost their parents due to famine or war.  There’s the connection.  Adam then repeated this process for 10 or 11 people, and each time, someone was able to provide a contact to assist another person in realizing their vision.

Review: Get Motivated

Today, roughly 18,000 people crowded into the Sprint Arena in the Kansas City Power and Light District to hear Rudy Giuliani, Colin Powell, Bill Cosby, Laura Bush, Steve Forbes, and more motivational speakers.  The event is a day-long seminar called Get Motivated, and it was created by a personal training and development company with the same name.  I assumed there's a catch when I purchased tickets for $1.95 a piece (face value of $225).  A cynic, nay, a reasonable person knows no all-day event at Kansas City's premiere venue is that cheap.  The day after I ordered tickets online, a representative from Get Motivated called me, selling a seat closer to the stage and a seminar workbook.  I politely declined, and quickly realized the low ticket price was to attract you to the seminar, where you would be subjected to infomercial-style sales pitches.  What came as a surprise to me was the Christian evangelism some speakers incorporated into their motivational talks.

In between the highly-promoted Colin Powells and Laura Bushes, an unadvertised, but energetic speaker touted too-good-to-be-true software that promises you can always beat the stock market by following a set of simple principles.  Then, this personable speaker urged the crowd to sign up for Wealth Magazine Investor Education for only $99, although the original price for the software is $3200.  This guy was a great salesman--first he took aim at educating the crowd about personal finance.  He attempted convince the audience that amateur investors have the advantage over the "big boys" on Wall Street.  Then, he revealed he had a foolproof system that can help you make intelligent stock trading decisions.  To demonstrate how simple this software was, he brought four volunteers on stage and show the software in action.  On monstrous overhead screens, the audience followed along as a chart displayed the price of a stock moving through time.  If three green arrows appeared, the volunteers shouted, "Buy!" and when three red arrows marked the screen, the volunteers screamed, "Sell!"  When his presentation was finished this guy explained all these benefits are only available by signing up immediately while staff members waved white colored lights to indicate sign-up locations.  In addition, if you signed up, you received a free lunch and a red tote bag.  According to my estimate, approximately half of the audience signed up.

Later this evening, I found myself wondering how Get Motivated makes money.  The expenses are extraordinary- full page ads in the KC Star for four weeks, billboards along highways, renting out the Sprint Center.  Not to mention, some of these highly reputable speakers charge six figures per appearance.

Another mysterious aspect of Get Motivated were the undertones of Evangelical Christianity.  Many business professionals follow other faiths or are non-believers.  Just from observing the people around me, I could deduce I was not the only one confused by the overt Christian message.  One speaker spoke of his own religious journey.  In college, he lost faith, but after he finished his degree, he realized that Jesus cannot be known through the intellect alone.  Instead, he argued Jesus must be known through the spirit and the heart.  I have no problem with proselytizing, but isn't it misleading to promote an event as a business seminar, and then lace it with Christian messages?

If this seminar comes to your town and you decide to attend, expect a full day of tremendous talks by reputable individuals, but also anticipate sales pitches for questionable stock market software, heavy, but short doses of Evangelical Christianity, and political bias from some guest speakers.  Don't fall for the "low-cost if you buy now" scams.  Expect several of the speakers to imply that accepting Jesus is a key element to financial success.  Expect dramatics- fireworks, singing, music, confetti, and beach balls.

ReasonFest 2011

Last night, I attended a debate between School of Faith theologian John-Mark Miravalle and Freedom from Religion Foundation co-president Dan Barker.  The event was the kick-off to ReasonFest, a two-day festival of enlightening and challenging speakers hosted in Lawrence, KS by the Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics.

The debate was well-attended, filling the Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union.  For those of you who are interested, the festivities continue today with discussions from Darrel Ray, James Underdown, Hemant Mehta, Tom Clark, and yes, Dan Barker.

Here are a few notable quotes from both participants in last night's debate.

John Mark Miravalle

"My hope is to dispel the idea, which seems to me is held by some believers in God and some who do not believe in God, that you have to make a choice between accepting God's existence or accepting the legitimacy of reason."

"I'm hopeful that those in attendance, both atheists and those who accept God's existence, will be in attendance because they are interested in following the evidence where it leads, and I think real good can be done presenting evidence with which people may not be familiar."

"None of this material is mine.  I give all the credit to the Heavenly Father."(after the debate)

Dan Barker

"There is no purpose in life." (in his closing statement)

"The question is not whether religion is useful, it's whether it's true."

"Many false ideas can make people feel good.  It can give them meaning and purpose.  It can give them a sense of morality and cohesion and community, but that doesn't mean it's true."

"The desire to believe in a God, even though it may not be true, is cowardly.  It takes more courage to face the facts, no matter how they make us feel."

Speaker Review: Derek Schmidt

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear the current Attorney General of Kansas Derek Schmidt speak at the University of Kansas.  I would have not attended his talk if I was not friends with the president of the College Republicans group at KU.  When she found out that I am the Vice-President of Students for Life of KU, she offered to let me and a few officers from our group come to their next meeting and make a promotional announcement to the College Republicans.  Little did I know our shameless act of self-promotion would follow an excellent improvisational presentation by the Attorney General of the state of Kansas.

We got up in front of an audience of about 25 students and made a short, brief announcement that probably paled in comparison to Mr. Schmidt's detailed recitation of his journey into politics.  I was blown away by his ability to speak so well off the cuff.  After hearing him speak, I'm glad I voted for Derek in the 2010 elections because this guy epitomizes competence and professionalism.

Back in 1990, he earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas.  Interestingly enough, he started off as a business student because back in his hometown of Independence, Kansas, his father was a small-business owner.  While he was living at a residence hall, a joker thought it would be funny to pull the fire alarm at 2 A.M. almost every night during the frigid Kansas winter.  After awhile, Derek got so upset that he wrote a short rant on how immature and childish this joker's actions were.  A friend of his read it, liked it, and said he should submit it to the University Daily Kansan.  One thing led to another, and eventually Derek switched his major from business to journalism.

He put himself through law school at Georgetown while working for Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum, the daughter of Alf Landon.  During his incredible presentation, he shared with us the stories behind how he served as general counsel to U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel and later served as Special Counsel to Governor Bill Graves.  Then, he served as a Kansas State Senator for 10 years before defeating Stephen Six in the 2010 midterm elections.

Despite his impressive resume and extensive experience in Washington D.C., Attorney General Schmidt comes from a humble, unassuming background.  After hearing his talk, I was inspired, not to be in the presence of a public official, but because this man is successful because he seized opportunities that came his way.  Sometimes, we tend to think that leaders are born, but Derek Schmidt is a living example that leaders can be self-made.  When Derek was a college student at KU, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life.  He did not have an outline of his life in his hip pocket, which is relieving to many  students who are concerned about their careers, job prospects, and life after college.      

    

The Lost Post

Recently, I had to opportunity to listen to Ken Ham speak down the street from my house.  As you might know, Ken Ham is a young-earth creationist, meaning he believes the world is literally 6,000 years old.  After the talk, I came home and wrote a lengthy speaker review.  I am sad to announce that when I restarted my computer after a software update, I failed to save the speaker review.  Do not to worry though.  I promise to deliver more speaker, book, movie, and album reviews in the future for your reading enjoyment.

As for the Ken Ham review, I still want to publish a few of my impressions albeit in an ultra-condensed form.  After reading a few atheist and science blogs online, I wondered if the person I was reading about and the person I saw speak were one in the same.  On these blogs, Mr. Ham was called a "crackpot", "silly", "lunatic", "hypocrite", and "hate-monger".  I can definitively verify that while Mr. Ham's belief on the age of the earth is misguided, he does not deserve a slew of brutal insults.

In his talk, Mr. Ham made a few insightful observations about the secularization of America.  He cited 1 Corinthians 23 as the basis for his entire lecture- "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the greeks foolishness."  In our society, the Jews are the people who have already been exposed to the foundational knowledge of Jesus as the Son of God, but failed to accept that premise.  To the ancient Greeks, the concept of Jesus Christ was entirely foreign primarily because they worshipped multiple deities.  They were bewildered at the prospect of one God sending his one and only Son down to earth.  From there, Mr. Ham claimed that America is increasingly becoming a nation of "Greeks" because we are further alienating ourselves from the foundational knowledge of Christianity.  This is why 2 out of 3 members decide leave Christianity.

Overall, I left Mr. Ham's talk with a positive feeling.  Although I disagree with him on scientific matters, he is a good man who deserved to be treated with respect.  In my view, the way a few bloggers treated him was the thing that incited frustration and resentment more than any content in Mr. Ham's lecture.  Everyone I encountered at the Baptist Church where he spoke was friendly and cordial.  All in all, seeing Mr. Ham speak was a positive experience.