Last night I attended what turned out to be a very inspiring evening. Members of the New Jersey High-Tech community (AeA, NJ Bio, and the HealthCare Institute of NJ) came together for what has become a yearly celebration of business leaders, researchers, educators, and government officials working together to develop New Jersey’s presence as one of the premier high-tech states in the USA. (Click here for information on inductees from 2008 and previous years).
Regardless of the particular aspect of technology that the inductees were from, they have common traits:
- Passion: Whether it’s growing a business, discovering a vaccine, providing a learning and research environment for the next generation, or promoting favorable legislation, each of these leaders are excited about bringing their visions to life.
- Commitment: We heard about the countless hours that inductees invested in overcoming obstacles that go with taking big risks. Rather than becoming discouraged and quitting, these people rose to the challenge to find new solutions during hard times.
- Humility: Each person saw him/herself working as part of a team and acknowledged those people. They realized that it takes joint effort to bring dreams to fruition.
While the inductees have all made extraordinary contributions, I believe that each of us has the potential to make big things happen. The more we can tap into the traits above, the faster we can accelerate progress.
