Brianna was preparing for her first graduate of Henry’s foundation. Winston Haynesworth had a background that was very different from what she expected. He was from a privileged background whose parents sent him to an exclusive academy. He was a trouble maker and was asked to withdraw. At their wits end, Winston’s parents asked if Henry could help. They had hoped that Henry could get him straightened out, and he could resume his elite education.
Henry had arranged for the residents to be moved to local accommodations. But Winston went missing. While searching for Winston, Henry ran across the local HVAC contractor who was restoring the heating system. “Sure, I’ve seen Winston. He’s up there. That young man kept bugging me to let him help. He’s the perfect size to crawl up into the duct work to check the heating pipes. Really he’s been a great help.”
That was the spark. It was what Henry would call a crucible moment. Henry approved an apprenticeship for Winston with Greg Adams, the president of the HVAC contracting firm, if Winston agreed to earn his GED. With a GED, Winston was given a fulltime opportunity to work with Greg.
Winston became the star in the contracting firm and rose quickly from an hourly employee to a project manager. When the firm expanded, Winston was asked to head up the expansion. The expansion was a remarkable success.
When Greg approached retirement, he made an offer to Winston to take over the business. Under Winston’s leadership, the company became one of the most successful HVAC companies in the country.
What especially impressed Brianna was how Winston used the business to develop the talent in young people who, up to that point, had shown very little promise. What Henry did not realize was that Winston was an observer of how Henry nurtured the talent in young people. Winston used those observations to develop an extraordinary and dedicated workforce. In effect, Winston was adding to his talent with one of developing talent in others.
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“There is in us a spark of something good, something right and beautiful.”
– Rick Tumlinson (Businessman)