I strongly believe that through dedication and perseverance, one can overcome adversity to achieve success. It is a privilege to accept membership in the Horatio Alger Association, an organization which promotes this principle.
— Ginni Rometty
When I think of revenue growth, I think of the words 'mix' and 'shift.'
I often sit back and say, 'Be sure about what I believe.'
Some people call this artificial intelligence, but the reality is this technology will enhance us. So instead of artificial intelligence, I think we'll augment our intelligence.
It will not be a world of man versus machine. It will be a world of man plus machines.
Watson augments human decision-making because it isn't governed by human boundaries. It draws together all this information and forms hypotheses, millions of them, and then tests them with all the data it can find. It learns over time what data is reliable, and that's part of its learning process.
I never look at an acquisition really by size.
India will not be at the center - it will be the center of this fourth technology shift.
Digital, it is not the destination.
The social network will be the new production line.
The ultimate competitive advantage is being cognitive.
Some people make their choice on size. I happen to not be a believer in that. I've often said, especially in an industry that's clamoring for growth, if I wanted size, I wouldn't have divested $8 billion of businesses.
As I tell all our folks, the only reason we exist - make no mistake - is our clients.
This idea of 'New Collar' says for the jobs of the future here, there are many in technology that can be done without a four-year college degree and, therefore, 'New Collar' not 'Blue Collar,' 'White Collar.' It's 'New Collar.'
One of the most important topics I think for us all to work on is job creation.
When my father left us, my mother went back to school immediately. She went to school in the day while we were at school, and she worked at night. She worked very hard to never let someone define her as a victim or a failure.
If you step back and look at technology from every era, it has displaced jobs but also created a lot of jobs.
Just because you started your careers in a certain role, let's say hardware engineering, does not mean you'll end your careers in hardware.
I'm the ninth CEO of IBM. Every one of my predecessors has steered through a technological shift, and every one left the company in a better position than the person before them and prepared this company with a very strong balance sheet to allow it to continue to invest for the next shift.
I have a great job at a great company.
You will have many more goals in the years ahead. But do not confuse a goal with a purpose.
Planes don't fly, trains don't run, banks don't operate without much of what IBM does.
Everyone talks about how much data's in the world. Except, actually, 80% of it is pretty blind to computers. I mean, it can store it. But if it's a movie, a poem, a song, it doesn't know what it's actually saying or doing.
We share no data with the government anywhere in the world.
This century, the 21st century, will be the Indian century - and I really believe that.
I believe that the idea of strategic beliefs may be more important than strategic planning when thinking about how you keep the long view.
When you're on a scale like we are in 170 countries and hundreds of thousands of people, you have a single point of view.
When you manage your company for long-term shareholders, and you manage the company for clients, two of the biggest stakeholders, you will make the right decisions.
You build your own strategy. You don't define it by what another competitor is doing.
Above and beyond, not only are we an innovation company, we are in service of our clients.
I am big on - even with our whole team - it's always about, well, what were the lessons learned? Something didn't work out? What are the lessons learned? What are the lessons learned?
If we would change the basis and align what is taught in school with what is needed with business... that's where I came up with this idea of 'new collar.' Not blue collar or white collar.
We should prepare our future workforce differently. It isn't just advanced STEM degrees. There are many jobs you can do without advanced degrees.
The amazing thing about IBM is that it's a company where I have had 10 different careers - local jobs, global jobs, technology jobs, industry jobs, financial services, insurance, start-ups, big scale. The network of talent around you is phenomenal.
There will be times you make decisions that actually detract from growth.
If you ask me, 'So what is your business model?' Our business model's always about shifting to higher value opportunities.
I was always surrounded by people that wanted to mentor you.
Work on something that matters. Have courage.
You can engineer change.
I think health care is absolutely ripe. It's an $8 trillion industry, lots of inefficiency in it.
India... what a big part you play in this story for IBM and for the world.
Think about when a digital business marries up with what I'll call 'digital intelligence.' It is the dawn of a new era about being a 'cognitive' business. When every product, every service, how you run your company can actually have a piece that learns and thinks as part of it, you will be a cognitive business.
With this emergence of big data and social mobility, you will, in fact, see the death of 'average,' Instead, you will see the era of you.
If I have learned nothing else in all my years here, my biggest lesson is you have to constantly reinvent this company. That's how you get to be 103 years old.
Steward for the long term. It's not always easy, but you do it.
I've always looked for challenges, and I have found plenty.
The ability to please your shareholders comes because of what you do for clients.
The recommendation when I'm mentoring folks, I always tell them - and we talked about this last year - take a risk.
Ask yourself when you learn the most. I guarantee it's when you felt at risk.
One day we're going to look back, and whatever this era will get called, it's going to put a premium on math and science.
