Why The Apprentice 2013 Represents A World That Is No More.

As we tuck into this years The Apprentice, one thing rings out loud, the aggression and domination from the male and female contestants represents an old world wrapped in compliance to ‘the man’.

The future of successful business is bound by trust and collaboration.

Whilst we love the heavy self gratification of ‘I’m a great of my generation. I take inspiration from Napoleon.’ (yes…that is what someone said, but I don’t think they were referring to Napoleon Hill) and ‘I’m half machine. I can process things at a speed that is out of this world’ (yes…that is genuine), these are comments from people believing that defiance is the way to build a successful brand.

This all represents the absolute opposite for what is required to prosper in business in today’s society. The old school ways of dominance, arrogance, strength and self reliance can now be put into a box on one side of the room and in it’s place generosity, vulnerability, sincerity, honesty and co-operation take centre stage.

Out the door goes the corporate speak and ‘the been there, done that’ business books but learning how to become human again, by providing something of value and being seen as helping others become better businesses/people.

What we see on BBC1 at the moment are groups of people dreaming about security by complying with a world that once existed by scrambling up the corporate ladder (where that ladder in fact belongs to someone else).

What matters in today’s world is to stand out, not fitting in, by championing something in a way that is open, honest and by connecting with others. By working collaboratively with others can add far more value than ever before. What you represent in your business is not what your product offers, but who you are and what you stand for.

The economy we live in today is many miles away from the corporate boardroom that The Apprentice contestants aspire to. The world today embraces the individual honesty not the mob defiance.

I’ll leave you with the words of Frank Zappa who said, “If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to you mum, your dad, your teacher, or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.”

Take a bow, the eventual winner of The Apprentice 2013.

 

Image used via Fickr: S.Hoko