Leadership That Ignites Passion
Leadership That Ignites Passion
I met David McNally, a striking-looking individual and one of the founders
of Integro in Australia, at a sales conference in Melbourne in late 1976. Over a
couple of drinks, we had a conversation that changed, and continues to shape,
my life. David founded Integro about six months before we met to help clients
achieve their business goals, but our talk at ? rst centered on the usual salesman
banter we’ve all had at these sorts of conferences. I could not stop asking him questions about his new business; the idea that the success an organization achieves
is dependent on the degree to which their employees and customers trust them
fascinated me. h e more David explained Integro to me, and the excitement and
passion with which he did it, the more interested and enthralled I became. I was
so completely sold on the idea that at one point in our conversation—and it
wasn’t the beer talking—I just blurted out, “I’d love to do what you do!”
His response was calm and simple. “Why don’t you?”
I was taken aback. At that point in my life, public speaking terri? ed me. My
sales experience was limited. To see myself as capable of selling consulting and
training services to organizations was a big stretch, something I did not feel ready
for or con? dent enough to take on. David listened to me and let me speak, but
as I came up with all the reasons why I couldn’t do it, he nodded as though he
had heard those reasons before—perhaps in his own head before he formed Integro—and considered them poor excuses.
Finally, David interrupted me. “You know, if you wait until you are ready,
you’ll be waiting the rest of your life. If this is something you really want to do,
then you’ll learn much faster by doing it. My motto is: Bite o? more than you can
chew, and chew like hell!”
He was right. Two months later, I joined Integro. h at initial self-doubt remained with me early on, but I grew out of it. I’m still here today, in fact, now
the President of Integro because David saw some talent in me I had yet to see in
myself. He was a true leader. Leaders recognize the talent others have and create
opportunities for them to develop that talent and become the leaders they are
capable of being. David invested in me because he saw someone who could help
him realize his vision for Integro. His passion did not stop at his vision for Integro; he was passionate about helping people grow. His leadership helped instill
that passion in me. I was, and am, forever grateful for that random conversation
at the sales conference because that day I was challenged to become a leader.
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