A Thirst for Creativity and Innovation
Monday, November 15, 2010
By V. Burns Hargis, President, Oklahoma State University
Traveling the country meeting successful Oklahoma State alumni, I am reminded of the creative power of ideas. We have many alumni who have put their creativity into action with impressive results.
There is Neal Patterson, who founded a company with two friends in the 1990s and bet its future on an idea to transform the healthcare industry. They created groundbreaking software that helps doctors, clinics and hospitals improve efficiency and deliver better care. With 7,600 employees and a market cap exceeding $7 billion, their company, Cerner, produces a suite of clinical and healthcare management solutions used around the world.
There is Gale Jarvis, president of the beloved Alexander Doll Company founded in 1923 by the daughter of Russian immigrants. As Gale related to Oklahoma State students when she visited two years ago, Beatrice Alexander had an idea – an unwavering belief that dolls should engage the imagination and contribute to a child’s happiness and understanding of the world. Alexander Doll Company continues to flourish under Gale’s steady hand and creative leadership.
There is Garth Brooks, who used his creative talents to make country music a worldwide phenomenon. He has dominated the country music industry and is the number one selling solo artist in U.S. history, selling more than 28 million albums. Garth became interested in music as a career while a student at Oklahoma State, where he began picking and singing with friends in Iba Hall. These days, he continues to rewrite records by recently selling out nine benefit concerts in Nashville and raising more than $3.5 million for flood relief.
And there is Boone Pickens, one of the most visionary and creative people I know. Boone has always been ahead of his time. He focused on the concept of maximizing shareholder value before it was popular. Tired of our country’s dependence on foreign oil and the absence of a true national energy plan, Boone developed the Pickens Plan out of an abiding concern about the potential disastrous consequences for our economy, environment and national security. He continues to tirelessly pursue putting America on a path for a brighter energy future. Over the course of his far-reaching career, he has redefined philanthropy with historic gifts to Oklahoma State and other worthy organizations.
A friend of mine once told me that leadership is the ability to see around a corner when no else even sees there is a corner. Leaders are creators. They have a knack for what is possible and a thirst for creativity and innovation. These traits define Neal, Gale, Garth and Boone.
Creativity and innovation take center stage in Oklahoma City this week at the Creativity World Forum. Creative Oklahoma, an organization dedicated to fostering an environment where creativity and innovation can thrive in our state, took the lead in landing this prestigious international forum. Creativity is key to promoting and advancing innovation in commerce, culture and education. This week’s World Creativity Forum gives us the opportunity to show the world that Oklahomans are both compassionate and creative.