At least not if you’re working for Donald Trump. Piers Morgan’s victory over Trace Adkins as the winner of the Celebrity Apprentice contest shouldn’t be confused with true leadership. I know leadership and Piers, you’re no leader. Yes, he made a lot of money… but plenty of people do the same and they’re not leaders. They’re lone rangers. Others don’t want to work with them. They demean and dispirit the very people who depend on them and who they depend on for success. Their style works in the short-term but they fail to get long-term trust, cooperation, and commitment. If you’re thinking you might be too nice for the corner office I don’t recommend that you follow Piers’ lead — the advice Carol and Kathleen gave you in this week’s posts is far sounder – and you can still look yourself in the mirror.
TAGS: Celebrity Apprentice, corner office, Donald Trump, Leadership, NBC, Piers Morgan, Trace Adkins
Did you see last night’s Celebrity Apprentice? I couldn’t believe it. They were down to the final four: Piers Morgan, Carol Alt, Trace Adkins and Lenox Lewis. Trump brings in two outsiders to “interview” them. There was no disagreement that the last woman still in the competition, Carol Alt, was a top contender. She was laser-focused and articulate. In comparison, the segments they showed of the men’s interviews were lackluster. Even Trump thought she was outstanding. Both interviewers told Trump that they felt Morgan would win at any cost but did not exemplify true leadership. So what does Trump do? After he points out how gorgeous Alt is (which only underscores his own emphasis on the superficial) he chose Adkins and Morgan because he wanted to see them “fight it out.”
Now I realize that ratings play a big part in the decisions made on the show, but the same scenario takes place in more typical workplaces every day. The spoils don’t always go to the best and the brightest. They go to those whom senior management decides they should go to and this is often the people they are most comfortable with or who are most like them. The result? Truly great leaders who are not white and male get lost in the shuffle. If you’re an executive making decisions about whom to hire or promote onto your executive team it’s your responsibility to check your personal preferences at the door and actively seek people who are dissimilar from you — yet still highly qualified. Diversity of thought, work style, gender, and ethnicity bring opportunity. Assuming skill, emotional intelligence and cultural fit are present, the person who makes you most uncomfortable is often the one you have the most to learn from — and the one who will add unique value.
TAGS: Carol Alt, Donald Trump, Lenox Lewis, Piers Morgan, The Celebrity Apprentice, Trace Adkins
