Key Takeaways:
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Growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone. Tackling tough problems sharpens your skills, builds confidence, and sets you apart from the crowd.
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Don’t chase difficulty or prestige for their own sake—choose work that excites you and offers opportunities to learn. Passion fuels perseverance and leads to long-term success.
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Solving big problems requires teamwork. Embrace diverse perspectives and surround yourself with people who challenge and inspire you to grow.
Lisa Su, who transformed AMD from a struggling chipmaker into a $190 billion AI giant, credited much of her success to a simple but powerful piece of advice:
“Run towards the hardest problems.”
Speaking at a commencement ceremony at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on May 10, Su shared that this guidance, originally given to her by IBM executive John Kelly, became her personal and professional mantra.
Su explained that taking on difficult challenges was the fastest way to grow—offering the greatest opportunities, the most valuable lessons, and the best way to stand out.
It was this mindset that motivated her to join AMD when the company had a mixed performance record.
Despite its troubles, Su saw the potential in the people, the vision, and the opportunity to help lead a company that truly mattered to the tech industry.
From Humble Roots to Global Impact
Born in Taiwan and raised in the U.S. from the age of three, Su was the daughter of a bookkeeper and a mathematician.
She graduated from the Bronx High School of Science before earning her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from MIT. Before becoming CEO of AMD in December 2014, Su built her career with roles at Texas Instruments, IBM, and Freescale.
Su believed that difficult problems were worth tackling because they stretched a person’s abilities and demanded focus, creativity, and perseverance.
These experiences, she said, fostered growth, confidence, and real-world impact.
She often reminded others that choosing the hardest challenges led to the fastest path to personal and professional development.
She also emphasized the importance of pursuing work that sparks curiosity and aligns with one’s interests, rather than simply opting for challenging paths or prestigious roles for appearance's sake.
Meaningful challenges, Su explained, were most rewarding when they aligned with personal passion and curiosity.
In her leadership style, Su maintained high expectations and a strong work ethic. Executives at AMD—including Su—were known to review memos at midnight and hold meetings on weekends. She expected similar dedication from her team, all while encouraging collaborative problem-solving.
Su concluded by reminding graduates and professionals alike that great achievements rarely happen in isolation.
She championed the value of teamwork, diversity of thought, and the importance of learning from others. Solving today’s most complex problems, she noted, required collective effort—
where different perspectives and skill sets came together to create meaningful progress.
