On Thursday, March 27, 2008, Donald Trump named Piers Morgan the "Celebrity Apprentice." For those who didn't watch the show, the premise was for each celebrity to raise the most money for their charity. They accomplished this by serving as the project manager on various tasks and winning those tasks by bringing in the most amount of money.
Clearly, Piers Morgan used his celebrity to bring in a lot of money. However, I disagree with how he conducted himself on the show. He was rude to people (not only other contestants on the show, but the general public in New York), he was arrogant when he won instead of being humble and giving credit to his team, and consistently defended everything he did (whether it was honest or dishonest) with saying that he was (paraphrased) "there to win the game and would do whatever was necessary to accomplish that goal."
On the other hand, the opponent he faced in the final challenge was Trace Adkins, the legendary country music star. Trace was humble, composed, thoughtful, did what he thought was right, and gave credit to his team AND his opponent. He played the game with integrity. Now there is an executive I would like to work for in the corporate world!
Did he raise the most amount of money? No. However, I think sometimes corporate America values the "money" in the short-term, rather than looking at the long-term gain of corporate good will.
If I had a choice, I would have selected Trace Adkins over Piers Morgan. Here is why. While I think he was very effective in many of the tasks, and extremely intelligent, I believe that in his arrogance, Piers Morgan alienated many of his competitors, and ultimately, many viewers. I believe that his ego really got in the way of the real purpose of why he was there - for his charity. It was almost as if he had chosen the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund as more of a "marketing ploy" than having a true belief in helping the individuals in that organization.
Our fine military service members deserve more than that. They deserved someone to represent them who played the game with the same kind of integrity that our military personnel live by on a daily basis while defending our country.
Trace Adkins on the other hand had a very personal connection with his charity, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). His six-year-old daughter is afflicted with severe food allergies and he truly was there to bring awareness to this cause - and bring awareness he did!
So, what does this all have to do with your career? I am a firm believer that what you put out into the world comes back to you ten-fold. I believe in always conducting my business with the utmost integrity.
If I were running a large company, I would want my employees to see the long-term benefit of operating with integrity, as ultimately more customers will want to associate with a company who does the right thing for their clients, employees, and charitable organizations.
While Donald Trump may disagree with my opinions, I think that he placed more value on the money raised than the true spirit of what giving to charities is all about - the good feeling you get in your heart by helping others in need.
I encourage everyone to think in a long-term manner. Are you living your life with integrity or are you stepping over people to "win the game?" Be more like Trace Adkins - give credit where it is due, be humble, and don't sacrifice your good name just to win a "short-term contest."
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