I’ve been watching the Olympics and have to say that I have truly been impressed by the demeanor of many athletes. With that being said, I also have to say that I have been truly disappointed with the behavior and treatment of many athletes as well. One of the most impressive events for me came in the all around performance for women’s gymnastics. Nastia Lukin and Shawn Johnson were incredibly engaged in what they were doing; you don’t see many employees in Corporate America who demonstrate the same kind of commitment. They are also great friends in addition to being great rivals. You can tell that they’re not in it just for themselves (unlike most people in Corporate America). Both gymnasts worked together for the team’s greater good—truly exemplary behavior for all athletes and employees. Most of the employees I know only care about getting the next promotion; they also don’t care who they have to step over to get that promotion.
This is in stark contrast to the men’s 100m final in track and field. Usain Bolt easily won the event, and really only seemed concerned about his own greatness. He could care less about his countryman Asafa Powell and only looked at him as another competitor he had to beat. Usain’s showboating and ego were incredibly offensive to me. In fact, all three medalists in the 100m seemed only concerned about their own self-interests. Usain didn’t even put forth his best effort, forgoing a faster time so he could do some showboating at the end of the race. This is also in stark contrast to Tyson Gay, who didn’t even make the final. Tyson displayed a humble and honest attitude that made me proud to be a U.S. citizen. Walter Dix, who took the bronze for the U.S., also seemed incredibly egotistical. The men’s 100m really seemed to be a microcosm of most of the employees I know in Corporate America.
In swimming, I saw a lot of parallels between compensation and Equal Opportunity laws in Corporate America. Jason Lezak has been one of the best sprinters for the U.S. for the past decade. He is also one of the lowest paid. His performance in the 4×100 freestyle relay was the stuff of legends—helping Michael Phelps win eight gold medals. On the other hand, you have Cullen Jones, an African-American swimmer who doesn’t have half the achievements of Jason Lezak, but received a $2 million contract from Nike in addition to numerous sponsorships for TV ads. He’s has far fewer achievements, but receives more money and fame because of his ethnicity. I’m not knocking Cullen Jones, he’s probably a great person, but that still doesn’t justify why he should receive so much more money than Jason Lezak. Compensation should be tied to performance, not the color of your skin.
In Corporate America, too many people are focused on winning the gold medal while focusing only on themselves. It’s possible to achieve greatness while being a team player and retaining some sense of humility. For me, the end does not always justify the means. I’d rather take a bronze and do things the right way than win gold and be a pompous jerk. Just my two cents.