Before West Virginia University President Gordon Gee leaves the house every morning, he grabs a gold coin and slips it into his pocket.

This gold coin doesn’t wield mystical powers. Nor does it carry enough value to hawk on eBay for a hefty fortune.

But the advice emblazoned on the coin is worth more than the price of gold itself.

The coin features the Flying WV logo, in addition to these six words: Focus. Innovate. Perform. Change. Stretch. Reward.

“It’s a positive, visual reminder of what I’m doing and why I’m doing it,” Gee said. “It never leaves my side.”

On Tuesday (March 17), lucky Mountaineers can walk away with their own coin if they spot any of the 10 St. Patrick’s Day gold bags hidden around the Mountainlair (You don’t need to look for a rainbow.)

The giveaway is part of a St. Patrick’s Day social media campaign by University Relations for students, faculty, staff and the community.

The coin, Gee says, fuels inspiration. Its origins stem from a period of culture change at Ohio State University, where Gee served as president twice – from 1990-1998 and 2007-2013. Larry Senn, a bestselling author and renowned leader in culture shaping, came to Ohio State during Gee’s tenure to help develop a process for change.

“I was given a blue chip to remind us about the purpose of the institution and doing the right thing,” Gee said. “So I started carrying that blue chip with me.”

Gee said Senn had a profound influence on his life through his elegant, yet simple principles. Senn’s outlook on leadership and corporate culture shaped Gee’s own approach to tackling daily life personally and professionally.

After returning to WVU in early 2014, Gee had a gold coin made with six specific attributes.

Focus: “You have to start with focus. You focus to perform. You focus to get better.”
Innovation: “That is what universities should be about. Innovation is such a key in our ability to succeed.”
Perform: “We should always be measured by our performance. We have an expectation to perform well and to be measured by that performance.”
Change: “Change is an incredible component of moving the university forward. Change must be part of our process.”
Stretch: “I like to think about whatever goal you set – to always stretch it. Always have higher expectations to perform in a better way.”
Reward: “Of course, if you do all those things, you will be rewarded.”

Gee believes these six principles can encourage anyone, from young to old, from students to faculty to staff. He thinks they’re particularly fitting for Mountaineers.

“It is about developing a way to improve ourselves personally,” he said. “It is about how we lead, how we inspire.

“I hope it will remind them of the same things it reminds me of – quality for success in their personal and professional lives and their obligation to the University.”

Follow @WestVirginiaU on Twitter for more information on the gold bag giveaway, which will include Gee’s gold coin of wisdom.

-WVU-

js/03/16/15

CONTACT: University Relations/News
304.293.6997

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.