Leadership is Passion

Michael was 35 years old when he decided to leave the company he was working for to start his own. He had the vision to make a difference and design vision and robot systems for large manufacturing companies.

He started out with six thousand dollars in his pocket. And just thirty thousand dollars he had just received as severance pay to support his family while he started. Other than that, it was all a blank slate.

What he was going to do, who he was going to contact, how he was going to do it.

It was all a blank slate.

Yet he was driven by hope and encouraged by passion.

He started out researching computer vision systems, and different platforms. What they did. What you needed to buy. How they worked. How much they cost. Who sold them. He finally made a decision and invested in one system and a desktop PC. Over $4,000 dollars right off the bat. Yet this purchase let him set up his lab. Experiment. Put theory into practice.

As he continued to experiment, he started to look for problems and companies. He knocked on doors and asked them for problems. "Let me test it out for you"., he said. "Give me a week to prove we can solve it. Then we will talk. "

Days went by without landing a job. Money was tight. His drive did not falter. Everyday he repeated this motto:

Everyday without a purchase order is one day closer to getting one.

I remember the day he went to demonstrate the test that landed him his first job. He lugged along his large desktop PC and monitor. His budget did not allow him to purchase a laptop and a PC. So he had to settle for a desktop.

He walked in carting this large setup. Salespeople waiting at the reception area snickered. He was the poor man on the block.

Michael did not care. He carted his computer. Set up his equipment in a conference room.

Computer.

Monitor.

Vision camera.

Cables.

Power Supply.

Light.

Part.

Program.

15 minutes later he called them in.

The demo began. It was a success!

That was all it took.

He received his first purchase order for $50,000 USD for his first inspection system. It was a 4 camera inspection station to inspect multiple features in 8 different models of break lamp assemblies for a leading Automotive Manufacturer. That was it. The beginning of it all. A manifestation of his dream come true.

This is a recollection of the beginning of a wonderful story full of challenge, passion, uncertainty, commitment, humility and drive. One which I am certain to share at another moment. But for now, the lesson I want to share is this: leadership is passion.

Regarless of where you are at in your life and whether you are leading a company, a startup, a team, or your own organization, leadership is passion.

It is passion that gives you hope and desire to create, bring people together, face the challenges, and move on.

It is passion that allows you to see and enjoy the finish line when you are still miles away.

It is passion that enables you to be extremely creative when you are surrounded and completely inmersed in uncertainty.

It is passion that gives you hope and humility when you need to seek help, aid and understanding.

It is passion that moves you to want to share with others, and invite others to be a part of this venture.

And it is this passion and great humility that enables you to watch with awe and appreciate the grandness of what you and those around you are creating, will create, and have created.

Leadership is passion. Live this passion and Lead.