Through The Eyes Of Genius; Idea Man: Inventor Willard Boyle's vision changed the way we see the world.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)

Byline: MIKE ANGELL

A demanding boss is a bane to most workers. But for Willard Boyle, that demanding boss was a springboard.

Boyle's boss was Jack Morton, vice president of electronics technology for AT&T's storied research unit, Bell Labs. Boyle headed its work in semiconductors and transistors.

Morton called Boyle one day in October 1969 asking what he was working on. Unsatisfied with Boyle's answer, Morton said another Bell Labs' unit was doing interesting things. Why couldn't Boyle come up with something interesting?

His boss' prodding got to Boyle. Determined not to be left behind in the innovation arena, Boyle and his colleague, George Smith, got to work.

Their drive led them to come up with one of the most important inventions of the century: the charge-coupled device, or CCD. The CCD is the heart behind digital cameras and video recorders, space-based telescopes and satellites, and medical imaging devices.

Boyle says a combination of many factors helped propel him in his many achievements: the ability to think freely, a nurturing of his intellectual curiosity, a collaborative working environment where ideas were shared, and even hurdles sometimes presented by colleagues.