In 1832, George Muller arrived in Bristol, England to take charge of a small church called Bathesda Chapel where he served for 64 years until his death in 1896. Early in his work at Bathesda, Muller was struck by the overwhelming number of orphans who roamed the streets with nowhere to go for food and shelter.

In this era of Britain’s Industrial Revolution, children as young as seven years old were forced to work in dangerous factories in horrible conditions. It was not uncommon for orphans to lose their lives in this state sponsored child labor environment. Some of the boys and girls were forced to work as chimney sweeps in the most deplorable conditions. They were a type of indentured servant, bought by the chimney sweep master from financially poor parents. According to information gathered from various chimney sweep web sites, these young chimney sweeps were to climb up, inside the chimney, brushing the flue as they went, and they weren’t done until their heads poked out of the chimney top. Due to their fear, these children were often reluctant to climb up the chimney. In order to motivate them, many masters would force the child up the flue and then light a fire. Since the child couldn’t come down, they had no choice but to climb up the flue. If a child happened to die while inside the chimney, another child was sent up the flue to help remove the deceased child.

Moved by what he saw, George Muller felt called to make a difference in the lives of the many ragged children running wild in the streets destined for slavery and forced labor. At a public meeting on December 9, 1835, Muller communicated his vision to his congregation about starting an orphanage. On April 11, 1836, Muller opened the doors of his first orphanage where he took in 26 children. Seven months later, on November 28, 1836, the second orphanage opened. In September of 1837, a third orphanage was opened. Over the years, more than 10,000 orphans were housed in the orphanage started by Muller. Not only did Muller provide food and shelter, he also provided an education to over 120,000 children through the 117 schools he established. He was actually accused of raising the poor above their natural station in life. At his funeral in 1896, the streets were lined with multiple thousands of people, some having climbed trees lining the funeral procession, attempting to get one last glimpse at the man who cared enough to make a difference.

The Power of Purpose

People and teams need purpose. They not only need to ask the question but need to have an answer for, “why do we exist?” An NFL team coming out of training camp and into the regular season lacking purpose will lack the passion and direction to reach the game of games, the Super Bowl. Studies show that people without purpose are vulnerable to boredom, anxiety and depression. Without purpose, individuals will drift aimlessly through life and through their professional careers. When people have purpose, they have focus, direction, desire, aspiration, resolve, determination, tenacity and a will to achieve. They are not deterred by setbacks, delays, or impediments. Fredrick Nietzsche, the German philosopher said, “He who has a why, can endure any how.” George Muller had a “why.” His purpose was to lift orphan children out of a life of neglect and slave labor by providing them with food, shelter, education and an understanding of their purpose in life.

The Power of Passion

Passion is the fuel in the engine of purpose. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines passion as, “a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something.” Author Michael Nolan wrote, “There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few that will catch your heart, pursue these.” Leaders can tap into the passion of their teams by casting vision. Helping others to see the end result of something that’s yet to be accomplished is the key to good vision casting. When George Muller shared his vision for starting an orphanage, he had two schilling in his pocket and never asked a person for a single donation, yet throughout his years in ministry work, he raised what is considered to be over $70 million in today’s dollars. He cast a compelling vision for what could be and then got to work to make it happen.

The Power of People

When people are motivated by a compelling vision, there’s no stopping great things from happening. It’s been said that teamwork makes the dream work. The power of people to accomplish goals and objectives can never be overlooked. Michael Jordan said, “Talent wins games, teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

As leaders in industry and in our communities, may we be alerted to the needs of others and harness the power of purpose, passion and people to meet those needs.

On July 16, 1969, the world watched and waited as 3 astronauts rocketed their way toward the moon. The flight actually began on May 25, 1961 when President Kennedy laid out a bold vision of space exploration including, “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

In a matter of days, the Lunar Module named Eagle, would disengage from the Command Module named Columbia and gently land on the lunar surface. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would utter phrases that are still part of our vernacular today. Those phrases include, “The Eagle has landed,” and “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

While Armstrong and Aldrin would be hailed for being the first humans to step foot on another planet, there was a third astronaut on the mission who was largely forgotten. Michael Collins was the pilot of the Command Module, Columbia, and continued to orbit the moon as Armstrong and Aldrin collected moon rocks and performed scientific experiments down below.

No one could have imagined the “aloneness” Collins would experience aboard Columbia being 250,000 miles from Earth and at times out of radio contact with his companions. Add to that the anxiety Collins felt with regard to the mission potentially ending in disaster. Should the Lunar Module’s engine fail to ignite, Armstrong and Aldrin would be stranded on the moon with no hope. Collins would return to Earth as the sole survivor. Armstrong believed they only had a 50-50 chance of success. President Nixon was prepared to deliver a speech in the event the mission ended in failure. He would have attempted to comfort a grieving nation with the words, “Fate has ordained that the men who went to the Moon to explore in peace will stay on the Moon to rest in peace.”

As it turns out, the mission was an overwhelming success and 8 days after lifting off from Cape Kennedy, Apollo 11’s Command Module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean carrying all 3 astronauts. The names of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are known world round, while Michael Collins fell into relative obscurity. To this day, Michael Collins has no regrets about his role in the mission.

Much can be learned from Michael Collins about life and leadership.

Remain Calm Under Fire

While wrestling with the angst of all that could go wrong with the Apollo mission, Michael Collins remained calm and in control. Excessive nerves and anxiousness can cloud one’s ability to think clearly in stressful situations. When others are depending on your best, it’s important to find ways of minimizing fear, worry, and anxiety.

Remain Focused on the Team’s Goals and Mission

Everyone on the team has a critical role to play. Certain positions naturally glean the spotlight, however, without the contribution of the whole team, everyone loses. The goals of the team cannot be achieved if everyone is more concerned about individual accomplishments, attention, and accolades. For a quarterback to achieve maximum results, the offensive linemen have to know their blocking assignments, receivers must run proper routes and running backs have to have hold on to the football.

Vince Lombardi, former Green Bay Packers Coach said, “Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

Remain Humble Through It All

Michael Collins’ unique ability to allow others the accolades for the team’s accomplishment kept him from a life of anger, resentment and disappointment. He was secure in knowing his contribution and the value of his involvement. His actions set him apart as a true leader.

As one ancient Chinese philosopher said, “I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.”

Photo credit: NASA