SHARES

Garry Kasparov (by Owen Williams via Wikimedia)

Thought we werent coming but it seems you made an error /
Wrench in the mill work, systematic terror has arrived /
Cornered by the order / Checkmate sucker, not a move, games over!
X-Clan
Last month, Russian chess Grand Master Garry Kasparov delivered the
commencement address for Saint Louis University. Following his address, Kasparov
received an honorary doctor of law from the university. It seems like only yesterday
that Kasparov played IBM supercomputer Deep Blue in the ultimate match
between man and machine. On his 17th birthday, Kasparov achieved the title
of Grandmaster. In 1985, he became the youngest ever (22 years-old) to become
the World Chess Champion, and he held the title for 15 years. In addition, Kasparov
was ranked the No. 1 player in the world for 20 consecutive years, up until
his retirement from professional chess in 2005. In other words, he is basically the
Michael Jordan, Pete Sampras, and Joe Montana of chess. Here are some of my
favorite passages from his speech:
1. Hard Work Is A Talent.

You often hear in chess and other sports that this player is more talented but that
player works harder. This is a fallacy. Hard work is a talent. The ability to keep
trying when others quit is a talent. And hard work is never wasted. No matter what
career you end up in, or even if you have a dozen different careers, the hard work
represented here today will never be wasted. You being here shows that you have
that talent and it will serve you well no matter how you decide to make a difference
in this world. Human beings cannot upgrade our hardware, thats our DNA. But with
hard work we can definitely upgrade our mental software.
Calvin Coolidge expressed the same sentiment as Kasparov when he said, Nothing
in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more
common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is
almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan press on has
solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. We cant control
what genes we inherit or our natural IQ, but we can dictate how hard we work, how
much we focus, and how disciplined we become in our respective careers. The best
things in life arent given to us, they are earned by us. Often times, resilience and
persistence are the x-factors. The most successful lawyers I have met have made
hard work a habit. Nothing can replace the sweat equity we put into our careers.
Nothing yields a higher return on investment than hard work.
2. Hold Fast To Values.
We can fight for our values or we can trade them away for comfort and temporary
security. This is a challenge for all of us in todays globally connected world. Every
day we make choices large or small: individuals, companies, entire nations. . . . If
America is to continue as a light of the world it will be up to you and to your
generation to hold fast to these values and not to trade them away for a safe and
stagnant status quo. Risk is not only for entrepreneurs. Risk is for anyone who will
fight for these values in their lives and in the world every day.
As Ive mentioned before, well never be younger than we are today. Our youth and
prime of life are fleeting. As George Bernard Shaw famously declared, Youth is
wasted on the young. Our generation, the Millennials, is said to be the most
racially tolerant of any generation. However, we may not be as racially tolerant as
the media triumphs, or as we are led to believe. Still, in 2009 45% of
Millennials believed in improving the position of blacks and other minorities even if
it mean[t] giving them preferential treatment. Contrast our support with Gen Xers
(30%), Boomers (27%), and the Silent Generation (25%), and you might believe our
belief system and social construction could be quite different than of those before
us. As Brian Easter, CEO of Nebo Agency, asks, So the question is can Millennials
beliefs be turned into actions? Or, like the pigs ofAnimal Farm, will they become
what they despise?
Accidental activists do not exist. We cannot hope our way to change. Diversity
needs to be fought for, it needs a voice. As Common raps in Glory, No one can
win the war individually. It takes the wisdom of the elders and young peoples

energy. Can Millennials disrupt the Biglaw status quo bias toward diversity? Yes, we
can, and we will.
3. We Must Not Settle for Good Enough.
We have heard time and again that the frontiers have all been explored. And every
generation likes to say that everything important or easy has already been
invented. Unfortunately, believing this can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you
think there is nothing new to discover, why try? Why take risks? Why leave the
house? St. Louis was once the beginning of the unknown, the gateway to the
frontier. Imagine if the pioneers had stopped at the Mississippi, the way America
hasnt sent a man back to the moon since Eugene Cernan in 1972. We cannot turn
back. We cannot stop. We must not settle for good enough.
As I noted previously, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich has pledged $300 million to increase
the companys workforce diversity. In his keynote speech, Krzanich stated, Its not
good enough to say we value diversity and then underrepresent women
and minorities. Intel wants to lead by example. Which law firms this year will also
lead by example? As highlighted by Time, Silicon Valley has long been considered a
boys club, with major tech companies like Twitter and Google revealing
demographics that skew toward white, male workers. Is the legal profession any
different?
Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, has become a powerful voice
for women in the science and technology fields. Sandberg recently stated, No
industry or country can reach its full potential until women reach their full potential.
This is especially true of science and technology, where women with a surplus of
talent still face a deficit of opportunity I know from my own experience that
the path to change is best traveled when we travel together. Many
agree with Sandberg that diversity makes teams smarter, leads to better
decisions, and helps groups solve problems more effectively. Who among the Am
Law 200 managing partners is willing to be the voice for diversity that the legal field
so desperately needs? Who among us will speak candidly about diversity in the
legal profession? We have come too far to just turn back. We cannot stop. We must
not settle for good enough.
Hard work, values, and refusing to settle helped Kasparov become a World Chess
Champion, writer, and political activist. No doubt, these three things could also
serve as the blue print for success in our legal careers. We may all start from a
different opening set, but it is how we play the game that will ultimately determine
our fate.