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Lee E. Meadows, PhD.
Professor of Management –
Authored: Silent Conspiracy &
Silent Suspicion
‘Apprentice’ gave leadership
lesson
Well, let's start with my admission that I did get caught up
in the 'Apprentice' hype and the weekly elimination rounds made for excellent
pre-class lecture discussions. During a once a week, four hour block of time,
we instructors search for various forms of stimulants that help keep our
students minds alert after their long work day and the Apprentice provided more
than enough discussion opportunities to carry well into the tenth Apprentice
season.
I suspect that before the year is over, or before this
column is printed, there will be enough 'Lessons From The Apprentice' books
written and sold that the royalties alone should be enough to pay off the debt
on the Trump casino's. So, rather than talk about the career lessons that
emerged from that 13-week marathon, I'd like to talk about the after glow of
winning the job as the Apprentice.
Now that Bill has secured the once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity, I think he is making some fundamental errors that may be part of
the celebrity spotlight. His interviews have shown an interesting transition
from happy winner to I-won-because-I-am-a-natural-leader-and-Kwame-wasn't. The
final task was as much a statement about teamwork as it was about leadership.
In pitting the final two contestants, Trump stated that neither could perform
the last task alone and so previously fired contestants were brought back to help Bill and Kwame.
The first lesson learned by any apprentice, journeyman,
disciple or assistant seeking to build a rewarding career is to know that you
can't do it alone. The ability to work with and through others is paramount in
the journey from apprentice to master. Bill may be slowly slipping away from
that realization now that the Trump spotlight has given him a front-page
celebrity status.
I suspect that a year of working closely with construction
crews, contractors, city officials, and day workers will be a constant reminder
that leadership really isn't about what you do, but what others willingly do
for you.
So for all those apprentices out there, here are some things
to remember about winning the prize:
- Manage the spotlight: True
respect for leading results from how well you share the stage with the
people who are really responsible for its production. There's a reason why
the Director of a successful play is always the last one brought that is
on stage to receive the applause.
- Acknowledge the competitive
spirit of your opponent: Personal desire to win is an
excellent trait, but the real catalyst is the desire of the person running
next to you. When the race is over, it is important to remember that
someone who was equally as determined challenged your true ability. They are
the reason why you pushed a little harder to achieve your goal.
- Fame is short, memories are
long: It is important to enjoy every successful peak along
your career path, but the journey out of a career valley is very often
dependent on those people willing to extend a hand to a long time friend
who wasn't taken in by their short term fame.
- Enjoy the moment, but move
on: The world of sports throws this lesson at us on a daily
basis. Every celebrated moment is a recognition that the next one will be
harder, but the joy comes in the accomplishment. Bill has one year in
which to show that all he accomplished to become the Apprentice is
secondary to what he will accomplish as the Apprentice. He now has the harder
task of proving that he was a good choice. It's time to shut up and get
busy.
I do look forward to the dearth of books, articles and
talking head insights that will descend on the business world thanks to this
Apprentice event. There will be hundreds of thoughts about thousands of minute
details and each will be spun with all the skill of a veteran seamstress. Let's
hope that the critical lesson of leadership humility and teamwork isn't lost in
all the hype.