It takes getting the right talent. It takes a lot of patience.

David Steward once proclaimed: “It takes getting the right talent. It takes a lot of patience. It takes investment and passion and commitment and entrepreneurial spirit, and everyone in the organization must buy into that.” In these words, he unfolds the sacred blueprint of enduring success. He speaks not of fleeting victories won by chance, but of the kind that is built stone upon stone, by the hands of many, with patience, with passion, and with a spirit that refuses to yield. His words remind us that greatness is never the work of one alone—it is the harmony of talent and unity, joined with sacrifice and fire.

The origin of this wisdom lies in Steward’s own story. Born into poverty and rising through countless struggles, he became the founder of World Wide Technology, one of the largest African-American-owned businesses in the United States. His triumph was not born of luck, but of the careful gathering of the right people, the courage to endure setbacks, and the vision to invest when the outcome was uncertain. He saw firsthand that an organization’s strength is not measured in numbers or wealth alone, but in the commitment and shared belief of its people.

History bears witness to this truth in countless forms. Consider the builders of the Great Wall of China, whose vision spanned generations. It was not the work of one emperor or a single army, but the combined effort of thousands, organized and unified toward a singular purpose. The wall endured because each soldier, each laborer, and each leader bought into the vision, no matter how distant the goal seemed. Without their collective spirit, such a feat would have crumbled before it began.

Steward reminds us that success requires patience as much as boldness. The farmer does not sow today and harvest tomorrow. He waits through the seasons, investing his care in the unseen. So too must leaders nurture talent, allow ideas to grow, and protect the spirit of innovation within their people. The entrepreneurial spirit is not reckless haste but the courage to keep striving, even when the reward lies far ahead.

The meaning of these words also reveals the importance of passion. Without fire in the heart, effort turns to drudgery and vision fades into weariness. Passion is the flame that keeps the weary hand moving, the light that guides through darkness. Coupled with commitment, it becomes unbreakable. Steward teaches us that without these, no amount of money or strategy can hold an organization together. But with them, even small beginnings can grow into towering legacies.

A living example is the story of Apple Inc. When Steve Jobs returned to the struggling company in the 1990s, he gathered the right talent, ignited passion, demanded commitment, and infused the culture with entrepreneurial spirit. The employees did not merely work a job—they believed in the vision of transforming technology into art. This collective faith transformed near bankruptcy into one of the most powerful companies in the world. The lesson is timeless: when every soul in the organization believes, mountains can indeed be moved.

Therefore, the teaching is this: greatness is never an accident. It is born of right people, right patience, right passion, and right unity. Let each person, whether leader or follower, remember that their role is vital to the whole. When you join your strength with others, and when all believe in the vision, then no obstacle can endure against you.

Pass this wisdom on, O children of tomorrow: to build something lasting, you must gather the right talent, nurture it with patience, fuel it with investment and passion, anchor it with commitment, and ignite it with the entrepreneurial spirit. Only then will your works endure, and only then will your legacy shine as a beacon for generations yet to come.