Alan Wells

"Gibbs’ arrival at the testing lake always generated a nervous frisson amongst the technicians. Alan Wells, one of the longest serving techicians, groans as he remembers that whenever Gibbs turned up he’d break the machine: *It was always frustrating for us because it was invariably something that we didn’t think would fail and Alan, who only knew one speed and that was flat out, would break it. It was either that or he’d be getting us to push it to the limit. One day at the lake he was on a high, punching his fist in the air, wanting us to drive into the water as fast as we could. ‘Faster, you wimps,’ he was yelling. We did it at about 25 mph and I was thinking to myself, ‘Where’s it going to end?’*[4](private://read/01jrsfvkjy84rkprtbz9amfvj8/#rw-num-note-477408-606132179-4)"

"The product itself was a great motivator; many people wanted to be part of a team that introduced such an exciting new product to the world. But Gibbs’ powerful brand of leadership was also necessary to sustain the team through the hills and valleys of the project. It was obvious to everyone that he believed fervently in the idea. Many of his workers responded to his clear emotional commitment to the project with great efforts of their own, so as not to let him down. But passion alone is insufficient; Gibbs knew every problem that they faced and had wrestled with it in his own mind. He’d review each programme of work regularly, not letting any matter go until he’d fully understood why something had been done a particular way or until he’d laid down a fresh challenge. Of the long-servers, Steve Bailey heard Gibbs’ favourite line many times: ‘If it had been easy, people would have done it before.’ Alan Wells toiled in the workshop and on the lake all hours to get the various vehicles operating. For a young guy from a modest background, spending time with Gibbs was a revelation. He says,"