"It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do about them that will determine your ultimate destiny."

-- Anthony Robbins

"I will prepare, and some day my chance will come."

-- Abraham Lincoln

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."

-- Albert Einstein

"Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of its filling a vacuum, it makes one."

-- Ben Franklin

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attit
ude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."

-- Thomas Jefferson

"Grow or die" – a philosophy as applicable to the business environment as it is to an individual’s personal life. It is a philosophy that has motivated Bruce Sinclair, at home and at work, his entire life.

Bruce Sinclair is not afraid of change; for him, change is a way of life -- it is inevitable. That change is inevitable, however, does not mean that it is negative. Attitude plays a role in how change impacts on an individual. Bruce views change as opportunity; change is to be embraced. He approaches it with a sense of excitement.

During much of his career, Bruce has been responsible for either building an organization or fixing one. Inherent in either task is the willingness not just to accept change -- but to lead it. Bruce's ability to thrive in an environment of change has had a positive impact on his career. It has also stood him well in his personal life.

Bruce is a big man -- big in character as well as stature. When he enters a room, people notice. It's not what he says or does; it's a presence, a sense of confidence that radiates from him. When he speaks, his deep, baritone voice fills the room. He is a man of action, comfortable making quick, calculated decisions in the fast-paced world of high technology. He understands his environment and knows how to motivate those around him.

Bruce is a natural leader in the new economy. He is a man with a vision for the future and a desire to make that vision a reality.

In 1997, Bruce was approached by a group of venture capitalists who asked him if he would be willing to assume responsibility as president of WaveRider Communications, a high-tech wireless start-up company. Bruce accepted the offer. "I was approached because of my track record and because of my reputation as a builder. I'm having a lot of fun," declares Bruce.

When originally established in 1996, WaveRider consisted of not much more than a few individuals with a good idea. After Bruce agreed to take on the position of President and CEO in October, 1997, it was his job to build WaveRider into an international presence in the wireless communications sector.

Today the company has a market capitalization of more than $200-million U.S., more than 150 staff, and offices around the world -- all of which Bruce says is only the beginning. "I like to build companies," he says, adding that he first investigated WaveRider as a potential investor. "As an investor, I thought the company was still too young -- and decided not to invest!"

For Bruce, "to work hard at something, to make it worthwhile, to make it successful, requires passion. If you don't feel it deep down in your heart and soul, and it doesn't make you happy, make you laugh, make you feel great for doing it, then what's the point? To me, that's passion."

Coupled with this sense of passion is an equally strong sense of humour. According to Bruce, his humour and spirit are "what people find innately attractive in me." His son, Duncan, says, "My dad is the happiest person I know."

"My sense of humour and ability to laugh are a gift," Bruce adds. "Most people can't see humour in the good, bad and ugly things the way I can." He does, however, admit to a deeply emotional side. "Around my family I am a very emotional person," he says. "If I see a sad movie, I cry."

With more than twenty years' experience in the high-tech sector, Bruce is thoroughly familiar with the intricacies of the industry. Prior to assuming his position at WaveRider, Bruce held a series of progressively senior positions within the high-tech industry, starting in 1977 when he began his career with what was at that time the "mother of all computer companies" -- IBM. Throughout his career, Bruce's professional philosophy has been to focus on growth. Status quo is never an option -- "grow or die" is his philosophy. It is a philosophy that has served as the foundation for his many successes, and continues to serve him well in his current position.

Bruce was born in London, Ontario, on April 1, 1951. His father, Duncan Sinclair, born and raised on a farm in Saskatchewan, had come to London seeking to escape the depression and life on the farm. In the 1930s he joined the RCMP, and when Canada entered World War II in 1940, Duncan enlisted.

During the war, Duncan married Bruce's mother Nita, also raised on a farm. After leaving military service, Duncan began a career in management at Kellogg's, retiring 25 years later. Duncan and Nita settled down in London, Ontario, to raise their daughter and four sons.

Bruce grew up loving sports. "My middle-class heritage precluded exotic tennis and ski holidays," he says, "so I immersed myself in local team sports." Like most Canadian boys at that time, he was especially fond of hockey, basketball and football. (His love of sports stuck with him; today he is an avid golfer and enjoys downhill skiing.)

Bruce lived in London until he graduated from high school. In 1971 he left home to study at Waterloo Lutheran University (now Wilfrid Laurier University) in Kitchener-Waterloo. In 1975, he graduated with a B.A. in Economics. Bruce chose to continue his studies at the University of Toronto, graduating with a Master of Business Administration degree in 1977.

His career following graduation reads like that of a typical high achiever, moving from company to company within one industry sector every few years, gaining knowledge and experience with every move. It is the traditional path to senior management in any industry.

When Bruce joined IBM in 1977, he was a product sales specialist. He admits that, at the time, he was not a computer specialist. With an M.B.A., his interest lay more in how the organization operated than in the technical aspects of the company. According to Bruce, sales and marketing was the path to the executive floor. "All of the senior managers of IBM had made their way to the top" by this route, he says. With his personal philosophy of growth, sales and marketing was a natural fit.

In 1979 Bruce left IBM to join Northern Telecom (precursor to Canada's largest company, Nortel). Here, he was a regional sales and service manager. Working in both Toronto and Vancouver, Bruce developed a strong understanding of operational issues relating to a geographically diversified company.

In 1986 he was offered an executive role as national sales manager with Harris Systems Limited. Although a relatively small company, Harris Systems afforded Bruce his first opportunity in an executive position. He was given responsibility for improving profitability. In effect, he had to "fix" the company. His approach was to restructure -- he merged separate service organizations into one company, a profitable national organization. In response to his aggressive restructuring of the company, Bruce was asked to assume the presidency of the Canadian subsidiary. He was 36.

Two years later he was offered a chance to build a company from the ground up. Recognizing opportunity in the rapidly expanding personal computer market, Bruce took the job and launched Dell Canada in 1988. As president, he had ultimate responsibility for all aspects of running the company: sales, marketing, finance, assembly and distribution operations. It was profitable within six months.

Within three years, he had built Dell Canada from a non-existent company to one with sales of more than $100-million annually. It was the fastest-growing technology company in Canada at the time. This had also been Bruce's first opportunity to build a company that reflected his personal vision of aggressive sales and marketing coupled with an almost fanatical emphasis on customer support -- and it was a success.

Thanks to his success with Dell Canada, Bruce was next offered a position within Dell Europe, a much larger operation with a potential customer base of 300 million people. In 1992 he moved to England to assume the vice presidency for Northern Europe. He was responsible for Dell services in England, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Ireland and the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg). Under Bruce's leadership, once again sales grew -- from $250-million to over $1-billion in just two years.

In 1994 Bruce was promoted yet again, ultimately taking responsibility for Dell operations in all of Europe. Within two years, Dell sales in Europe grew to more than $2-billion annually.

Change is the key to "surthriving"

At Dell Europe, Bruce focused his attention on more than just increasing sales. He worked at building capacity -- not only to grow, but to sustain growth. Managing growth of this magnitude did not mean simply doing more of what the company had already been doing. It meant changing how they did business. Bruce changed the entire organization. He led the creation of a Europe-wide manufacturing, distribution, sales and support operation in Ireland. He also established a series of innovative business practices unique in the industry that resulted in significant savings to Dell. Thus, not only did he increase sales, he increased the overall profitability of operations.

While growth this extensive might lead some analysts to worry about over-expansion and spreading a company too thin, it is typical of Bruce's business style. He is recognized across the industry as a successful leader in organizational change and in managing growth. Bruce feels that a company must continually expand and retool, and he sees real danger for organizations that are unable to retool in the face of change. Change in the new economy isn't simply about doing more with less money, or firing staff and forcing those remaining to pick up the slack.

Over the course of his career, Bruce has adopted the phrase "surthrive." How does an organization "surthrive" in the new economy? "A lot of small companies get caught up in themselves," says Bruce. "Not only do you have to do things better, faster, cheaper, but you have to thrive!" He asserts that "you can only go for a year or two asking people not to take a raise or squeezing what you can out of a budget before you have to make fundamental changes -- fundamental cultural changes, organizational change and structural change. Grow or die!"

Change is about dropping some programs and creating new ones to suit the new environment, and it is ongoing. He points to the Canadian health care system as an example of failure to grow, saying that the problems we face today "are the result of the inability of health care organizations to respond to a changing environment: demographics, new issues, money." As he has explained is typical, "organizations tend to respond to a decrease in funding by squeezing more out of an existing structure. Well, you can do that for a while, but then you have to make fundamental changes to the whole system." The province of Ontario, he says, is only now attempting change after ten years of the status quo. "They may very well succeed," Bruce concedes. But, for a decade, "they just tried to do the same with less money, fewer people and an increased demand. We've gone backwards over the past ten years."

Bruce does not mince words.

In 1995, Bruce returned to Canada, where he continued to provide strategic advice to Dell Europe, Dell Canada and Dell in a corporate capacity.

Bruce left Dell in 1996. He had no firm job in hand. What motivates a man to leave a successful career with a large, established company and venture into the unknown with no clear goal? According to Bruce, the short answer is that he wanted new challenges. When a company reaches a certain size, it takes on a different, more bureaucratic culture. By 1996 Dell had become a world leader in the sale of personal computers. The requirements for managers were changing from building the business to entrenching it. The opportunities to build were becoming fewer. Bruce gave up the salary, generous stock options and relative security of working with Dell, and decided that it was time once again to venture out on his own.

With no clear place to go, Bruce spent the summer of 1996 with his wife and family, relaxing and contemplating his future. By the fall, he was ready to pursue new entrepreneurial interests.

He began consulting with start-up companies and venture capitalists, sharing his expertise in growth management and organizational change. He also began to dabble in other initiatives, including becoming a majority investor in Jotani Sportswear. From 1996 to 1997, Jotani grew by 300 per cent. Not content to be a hands-off investor, in 1997 Bruce helped design and implement a launch of Jotani into the U.S. market. He was working more than 40 hours a week on a series of projects.

"I wasn't even thinking about resuming a single-company career again," says Bruce.

When the group of venture capitalists came calling, they knew precisely what it would take to convince Bruce to come on board. Bruce says they told him, "We need someone to build the business -- someone to put a management structure in place and develop the ideas into a real business."

According to his c.v., Bruce's career objective is "to take on the role of a CEO in a 'high-growth potential' technology company, thus utilizing my worldwide experience in rapid growth, organizational restructuring and re-engineering." WaveRider was in definite need of these skills. It was a natural fit. Three months later, Bruce joined WaveRider full time.

Riding the wave

When Bruce joined WaveRider it was a company of nine people working out of a real estate office in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. Since then, Bruce has built the company -- hiring more staff, expanding R&D, opening sales offices around the world and, most importantly, raising capital, both through venture capitalists and by moving the company to the NASDAQ NMS Exchange.

"I got very excited, for a couple of reasons," recalls Bruce. "First, the technology had the potential to really change the way people access the Internet. And, second, today we talk about the digital divide [the gap between those who have access to technology and those who don't]; we've shipped products to over thirty countries. There are installations in Africa, and we've rolled out in areas of India that otherwise wouldn't have access to high-speed Internet service."

Today, with offices around the world, a thriving R&D facility and products on the shelves, industry analysts forecast WaveRider's sales to be more than $40-million in 2001.

An office can say a great deal about a person. Bruce's CEO's office reflects not only his personality but his management philosophy and, to a certain extent, the corporate culture of WaveRider itself.

The headquarters of WaveRider occupy most of the top floor of an office tower just north of Highway 401 in Toronto and just east of the 404 -- Toronto's burgeoning high-tech sector. Like most modern highrises, the walls are concrete and glass. The large windows give office workers access to natural daylight.

Canada is in the midst of an economic restructuring, the likes of which have not been seen since the industrial revolution more than one hundred years ago. The "new economy" has changed the way companies do business. Employees and managers are working in a new paradigm. Today's management gurus emphasize that workers need to treat themselves as "mini-corporations," with their skills and intellect their "product."

This new approach has had an impact on how managers relate to their staff. In the new economy, it is expected that both junior and senior managers work side by side with their staff. The executive floor no longer exists in many of the emerging companies -- including many of the large ones.

At WaveRider, Bruce occupies an office in the centre of the floor, far away from any window -- dispelling the traditional corporate image of the CEO with a large corner office (prime real estate in the traditional corporate world). Although enclosed (Bruce often hosts meetings with clients and partners, so privacy is required), Bruce's office has another feature rare in traditional corporate Canada. It is fronted by a glass wall with neither curtains nor blinds -- allowing any passerby to look in.

As far as he's concerned, Bruce's performance is on display for staff as much as theirs is for him.

Bruce explains that "I purposefully had the executive offices built away from the windows because I believe that space should go to those whose jobs generate the most stress. In our case, the customer service staff dealing with front-line issues occupies these areas. As for the glass wall, I want all staff to be able to see what I'm doing. It generates a sense of openness, and a sense that we are in it together."

Charles Brown, Vice-President for Sales and Marketing at WaveRider, says, "Bruce is motivated by being a successful individual, by taking small things and making them big. He's also motivated by helping other people with their career, by helping them succeed."

Bruce totally buys into the "1990s philosophy of a positive attitude leading to a positive environment." As for the critics, "Some say that you're hiding your true feelings. I think that's bunk! Even if you have a reason to be upset, if you can mask it and force yourself to be positive -- then you will be positive." He points out, "It's no different than taking aspirin for a headache. If aspirin masks the pain, although it may not have cured the illness, without the pain you're able to go on and do other stuff."

Bruce says that he's always been a positive person. "If we're having a difficult time at work, it is important to put on a brave face for the staff -- otherwise, we won't succeed. Whether it's problems with a particular client or with a product, it is important to give them the confidence that we will figure it out."

This philosophy permeates the company, creating a corporate culture that is both challenging and fun. Charles Brown agrees. "Life is all about attitude. You have to decide what type of person you want to be. Some people, for whatever reason, choose to be unhappy. Likewise, I think people who are genuinely positive choose to be positive. That's what I like about Bruce."

Charles says that people like Bruce "put things into perspective." He adds, "It's how you choose to deal with all those little stones in your shoes each day. Some people laugh about them, dump them out and move on. Others seem to want to keep them there."

Charles describes WaveRider as having a "culture of recognition" and says that at the last annual shareholders meeting, employees were flown to Toronto from all over the world to have their achievements recognized. "This is a great place to work -- and Bruce sets the tone."

The most profound challenge

Bruce first met Joan in 1977 when he worked at IBM. She remembers what he was like at the time: "Bruce had a outgoing personality. He was kind of chatty and liked to make people feel at ease." Although they never dated while at IBM, they would frequently get together after work with a group of colleagues for drinks. Two years later, when Bruce was working for Northern Telecom and Joan with ADS Systems, they met up once again, and started dating.

When Bruce was transferred to Vancouver, he asked Joan to go with him. She agreed. Two years later, they were married.

Today, their eldest child, Cho, attends the University of British Columbia, and their son, Duncan, is finishing high school.

Bruce claims that "I have a certain sensitivity toward other people." He can be serious with a serious person or goofy with a goofy person. "I like the personal dynamics of people. I think that's what Joan saw and liked in me in the early days -- and I think that's what she still likes in me."

Bruce and Joan agree that the key to their marriage is communication. "In the beginning of our marriage I might be quiet for two or three days," recalls Joan. "That was disastrous. It just led to insecurities. I had to talk."

Bruce is committed to being involved in all aspects of his family. Although his daughter is away at school in Vancouver, Bruce believes it is important to make time for his son -- to be a dad as well as a CEO.

"If my son has a soccer game, I will take time off to go to watch him play," says Bruce. "I'm usually the only dad there -- all the other kids arrive with their mothers."

Bruce didn't always achieve this balance between work and family. However, on December 20, 1993, while he was still at Dell Europe, something happened to change Bruce's life forever. While vacationing with his family, he had an accident that resulted in a fundamental shift in his priorities -- it was a defining moment in an already remarkable life.

And it was Bruce's personality -- his drive to succeed, his fun-loving nature, his ability to see beyond the immediate to the big picture -- along with the support from his wife and family that enabled him to tackle his most profound challenge to date.

It happened in Barbados. Bruce, his children, his wife and her sister's family were relaxing on a secluded beach on the first day of their holidays. With the sun beaming down and the heat steadily rising, Bruce decided to grab a floater and try body surfing. Although the water had been rough earlier in the day, it was relatively calm when he took to the waves.

Within minutes, his life changed forever. From out of nowhere a large wave picked Bruce up and threw him against a rocky outcropping. Fortunately it didn't knock him out -- or he would have drowned. When his head broke the surface, he began to yell for help. His brother-in-law and wife heard his cries, dove into the surf and pulled him to safety.

"I knew I had broken my back," says Bruce. "I couldn't feel or move my legs. I yelled for someone to call an ambulance." Forty-five minutes later it finally arrived. He was taken to hospital in Bridgetown. Joan went with him and left the children with her sister.

It was every vacationer's worst nightmare -- a severe injury with little quality support available. Hospital staff did what they could, but it soon became clear that Bruce needed to be airlifted to a hospital with better facilities. Where should they go? Miami was closest and certainly had quality facilities, yet it, too, was foreign to the Sinclairs. Not knowing where else to turn, Joan called Bruce's former orthopaedic surgeon in Toronto. After checking around, he called her back and informed her that London, Ontario, had an excellent spinal cord surgeon.

Together Joan and Bruce agreed to fly to Ontario for treatment. With the children still with her sister, Joan accompanied Bruce by air ambulance to London, where he underwent emergency surgery. Bruce had suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury at the T11/12 level, meaning that the spinal cord was partially damaged at the 11th and 12th thoracic vertebrae. Bruce was paralyzed from the waist down and unable to walk, but maintained partial sensation because the injury was incomplete.

Once Bruce was safely out of surgery Joan returned to the Barbados to pick up the children. Bruce remained in hospital for several weeks.

Joan, meanwhile, returned to England, where they were living at the time, so that the children could complete their term in school. She then hired a sitter to look after the kids and regularly commuted from London, England, to London, Ontario. It was a hectic time.

In February, Bruce was transferred to the rehabilitation centre at Stoke-Mandeville in England to be closer to his wife and children. By April, he was spending much of his time at home, and in June, 1994, he was released for good.

Fortunately, Bruce's employer, Dell, paid for everything -- the air ambulance, hospital costs, travel and rehabilitation. "They were extremely good to us," says Joan.

Joan recalls that "it took me a long time to accept that he would end up in a wheelchair. Because he was classified 'incomplete,' I thought it would be only a matter of time before he was up and walking." She says that their friends and family accepted Bruce's disability more readily than she did, estimating that it was six or eight months before she'd finally accepted it herself.

"Looking back, the first couple of years were hell," she admits. Their daughter, Cho, was entering her teenage years and Bruce's accident "took attention away from her when she needed it. I was coping, and our son never really said anything until much later."

Today, things are much different. "Life is good," says Joan. "Bruce wasn't always a patient man, but the accident has really developed this patience. Sometimes I look at him and say, 'How can he be so patient?' -- when I am impatient just looking at him."

The injury has had positive effects on their marriage, too. "Communicating is very important," Joan reiterates. "Although I was trying before, the injury forced me to try even harder."

As for her staying by Bruce's side throughout the ordeal, Joan says that "there are no guarantees in life. If you love somebody, you stick with it." And Bruce Sinclair is still Bruce Sinclair, whether he can walk or not. "I don't want people to look at me like I'm some kind of martyr, because I'm not," she says. "It's not just one-sided." Joan points out that Bruce has kept his sense of humour, and has stayed active, taking up skiing and golf again since his injury. "He's very motivated."

Certainly there were some rough patches, and after returning to Canada in 1994, the family sought counselling. "The children both took it hard, and Cho is still feeling the impact. Spontaneity is gone, we now have to plan in detail, and we were never really very good planners," Joan says wryly. "But things got better."

Joan says that "the accident made me realize how fragile life is. I think we've all learned not to take life for granted." And of their marriage, "it raised our relationship to a different level. We're much closer now."

Business as usual

For his part, Bruce's response to the accident was to dive back into work. He went back to Dell full time. A high achiever with type-A personality, Bruce was the same man after his injury. His priorities, however, did change. His words almost echo his wife's: "I realized just how important relationships are. I stopped taking them for granted." To this day, Bruce's family remains the most important part of his life.

Soon after he was injured, Bruce was seen by a psychologist, who asked him a few questions about his life and his personal philosophy. After Bruce answered his questions, the psychologist told him, "You'll be fine. The headaches you had before your injury will be the same -- kids, money, et cetera -- you'll have the same damn problems."

The psychologist also said that if he had had a good sense of humour before the accident, he would still have it now. "I remember thinking, 'What can be funny about this?'" says Bruce. "But he was right. I soon began to see the humorous side of my life. I can be in the worst situation of all, and chuckle."

Bruce shares another positive outcome of the accident. "Early after my injury I decided to use it to teach my children," he declares. "If I could show them that I could still be successful and have a lot of fun, then maybe this could be a gift to help them in life."

Bruce says that the only thing we can control in life is how we deal with things. While still in hospital, he saw two types of people: "those whose condition took over their lives -- it was going to become their life, no matter how long or short that might be" -- and those who merely "saw this as a hiccup on their way through life."

Not surprisingly, when asked what characteristics he admires most in people, Bruce responds, "Integrity, enthusiasm -- people who can motivate themselves and those around them -- people who don't give up."

In 1995, Bruce decided to return to Canada. Although he had been thinking about returning before his injury, it did reinforce his desire to be closer to home -- having shifted his priorities.

In Canada, Bruce remained with Dell for another year, advising both the Canadian and corporate operations. Eventually, however, he decided it was time to move on. Dell had grown to a point where the challenges of growing the business were becoming fewer and fewer. As it expanded, the organization was taking on a different culture. The requirements for managers were changing from building the business to entrenching it. Bruce was ready to lead a new company, WaveRider, into the future.

Bruce maintains that his disability has never been an impediment to his work. He relies on his personality and his skills -- his ability to build a company, and his understanding of the industry. None of this has changed; he is the same person since his injury as he was before. The wheelchair may change how he does some things, but it hasn't changed what he does.

He doesn't believe that he has ever been treated differently because of the chair. He recalls a meeting with a potential investor in New York. "When I wheeled into the room, he looked at me and said, 'What's wrong with you?' I replied, 'Nothing -- what's wrong with you?' After that we just got down to business, and that was it."

WaveRider VP Charles Brown tells the story of another business trip to New York which he and Bruce took together. They were on their way to a reception in the hotel -- because it was an older building and only partially accessible, they were forced to go outdoors to get to that part of the hotel.

"It was pouring rain," Charles says. As they headed down the sidewalk, they came upon an enormous 18-wheeler truck parked across their path. To get around it would mean stepping off the curb and into traffic. "Because it was a high truck, Bruce said, 'You go around and I'll just wheel underneath it.'" It wasn't until they were in the elevator back inside the hotel, heading up to the reception, that Charles noticed Bruce had blood all over his shirt and coat. He had managed to cut his head while passing under the truck.

"It wasn't serious -- but it was bloody," says Charles. "The next thing we knew, there was an ambulance, the police were interviewing us and even the hotel medical staff was there. We had to go to the hospital to get his head stitched up. Through it all, we were just laughing about it." Needless to say, they missed the reception.

The next morning was business as usual, however. "At 8:30, with Bruce's head all stitched up, we were giving a pitch to a bunch of financial analysts to raise money!" laughs Charles. They had gone to New York for a reason and they weren't going to let a minor mishap get in their way.

When Bruce left the hospital in England, he had realized two important things: first, that he was extremely lucky; and second, that a lot of people were not so lucky.

"I had a good infrastructure," declares Bruce. "I had a good job, good insurance, money and a strong family. Those things I didn't have to worry about. All I had to worry about was getting healthy."

On the other hand, he realized that many people in the hospital with him "were being devastated." People his age lost their businesses while in rehabilitation. People were deserted by their spouses. Young people with no education wondered what on earth they would do. Bruce says that when he was released, "I felt I had a responsibility to help."

Bruce offered his expertise to the Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA), which, at the time, was experiencing financial and organizational difficulties. He brought in his trademark business philosophy and his experience in the corporate world to help rebuild the organization. He proceeded to work with its board of directors, both in Ontario and nationally, to develop a long-term plan to ensure, not survival, but success.

In effect, Bruce brought his "surthrival" message to the NGO sector. They couldn't simply keep the same structure and try to get more out of it. They had to change, to develop new programs. CPA had to undergo a complete paradigm shift.

Today he continues to sit on the board of directors of the Ontario Division of CPA and helps the organization with its corporate fundraising.

Bruce isn't all work and no play. He spends a lot of time with his team outside of working hours. "I like to have fun with the people I work with," says Bruce. He also takes any opportunity to spend time with his son.

As for sports, which were always a big part of Bruce's life, his injury again changed only the how, not the what. Bruce learned to ski sitting down. Of course it isn't the same as before -- it is more difficult. The challenge is still there. So, too, is the opportunity to spend time with his son. And Bruce continues to golf in the summer.

On Canada, now and in the future

When Bruce reflects on the biggest issue facing Canada today, he says it's "the fundamental change going on around the world, and how that will impact on what we in Canada consider a happy, successful environment." Having lived in Europe and managed a multi-national company there, Bruce is more than a little familiar with the challenges associated with the global economy.

According to Bruce, this fundamental change requires a strong, clear vision on our part and a political process that's able to develop that vision and make the decisions necessary to deliver on it.

"Our problem in Canada," says Bruce, "which is similar to Europe and, to a lesser extent, the U.S., is that we have such regionalized interests. Our geography, different communities, ethnic mixture, age mixture -- we have a very mixed population base with very broad interests. Trying to get a common vision in a country this diverse is a big problem for us."

But he says that our regionalized problems are "nothing compared to other countries of the world, especially those in Europe." When he was in Germany, he noted, for example, that "conflicts between the Bavarians and the business people from Frankfurt are huge! It's not that big an issue in Canada. We just need a clear vision."

Although the vision must come from the people, Bruce says, we are currently severely lacking in strong political leadership. "Social values have evolved in some very unproductive ways. People value money, power and celebrity status. Think of the respect level for teachers, nurses, community workers and politicians. Not a lot of people respect politicians, they get paid poorly, so who are you going to attract to politics? Nobody except someone with a big ego. Why else would you go into politics?"

Another challenge to developing a common vision has to do with the fact that we are living in an increasingly global village with a global economy. How can a country have unique programs and policies in such an environment? Can you truly have a vision independent of your neighbour? Bruce feels that Canada, the United States and Mexico have to demonstrate more cross-border thinking like they are doing in Europe. "While there are a lot of problems in Europe, what is happening is nevertheless visionary work -- joint monetary and political policy."

Bruce admired former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, not because he necessarily agreed with everything he did, but because Trudeau had a vision and, at least publicly, worked toward his vision, despite what was sometime aggressive disagreement by the opposition party and the public at large.

Other issues that Bruce sees as emerging in importance include the environment -- "Our activity in this area over the past 20 years has been embarrassing," says Bruce -- and the distribution of wealth, both within Canada and around the world, which he says will soon lead to "major social unrest... This is a global issue and, as such, needs a global vision."

He admits that he has personally benefited from the current system but insists that he believes in distributing wealth. "Others complain about the taxes we pay, but I don't. I wish they were a little better spent, but I'm quite proud of the liberal system we have in Canada."

Although Bruce does not argue with those who compare the distribution of wealth today to 100 or 1,000 years ago and state that we have progressed, he also contends that "we've gone totally backwards" compared to 10 years ago. He repeats his earlier assertion: "You cannot simply do more with less money." He feels that our health care, welfare and education systems "must develop new programs based on the current and emerging environment."

Bruce has also spent time reflecting on disability rights in Canada and contrasting them with the United States. One would think that, given our reputation as a just society, services for people with disabilities would be more progressive in Canada. But the United States, with its Americans with Disabilities Act, is arguably the most progressive country in the world when it comes to accommodating its citizens with disabilities. This piece of legislation assures Americans with disabilities access to a range of services -- accessible transportation, housing, education, recreation, public buildings, even employment opportunities -- that most Canadians with disabilities can only look at with envy.

"Americans, by nature, are more prone to stand up, pound their fists and be heard," Bruce points out. Plus, the United States has an organized disability lobby of tens of thousands of members, many of whom are Vietnam War veterans. "Formed during the civil rights era of the 1970s, this lobby group has a much louder voice than any group in Canada."

And whereas in Canada it is seen as negative when a lobby group exerts power over the political system, in the U.S. the power of the people over the government is viewed positively -- and hence the political system is more influenced by lobby groups.

Bruce says bluntly that the Americans with Disabilities Act was "rammed down the throats of the electorate by a powerful lobby group. We haven't been able to do that here in Canada.

"You can't tell me that the American government had any more interest in disability than the Canadian government."

Surthriving with a disability

There are all too many myths about disabilities. Two contradictory myths are that a disability makes you a better person, and a disability makes you bitter. The reality is that each individual responds differently to a sudden, significant disability. If a person is negative, bitter or sad before their injury, they will likely be the same after. Likewise, if a person has a positive attitude before their injury, then likely they'll have a positive attitude afterward.

Many people assume that a disability is an unbearable curse and anyone who is able to live with it suffers continuously. Sure, many people will go through a depression following a disabling injury. However, attitude has the ability to make anything possible. Just as many people without disabilities have a negative attitude, there are many people with a disability who have a positive attitude. These people will not only survive, they will thrive, and their quality of live will also thrive. They will "surthrive."

A disability, like any other attribute such as height, intelligence and wealth, does not predetermine quality of life. Attitude determines quality of life.

And while acquiring a disability doesn't necessarily change a person's outlook on life, it does give a person an opportunity -- and a hell of a lot of time -- to think. Bruce took advantage of both and established new priorities for himself. He continues to pursue his passions: building companies, mentoring others, playing sports and spending time with his family. But today he is also more sensitive to the needs of those around him. He organizes his time to maximize his interaction with friends and family, and has a closer bond with them.

And he still feels positive. As Bruce puts it, "There are a lot of people [with and without disabilities] who feel worse than I when they get up in the morning."