Crazy Talk

"You have to be willing to sacrifice everything to be successful, including your personal life, your family life, maybe more. If people think it's any less, they're wrong, and they will fail." -Kevin O'Leary, host of Dragon's Den and Shark Tank  

I have never watched Kevin O'Leary on television but this quote in the Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper, certainly caught my eye. Mr. O'Leary, is describing what he believes is required to be a "successful entrepreneur."

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a hard working guy, but sacrifice everything for money? I don't think so. Frankly, this is the television face of the Gordon Gecko school of business-"Greed Is Good. Despite the crash of 2009, we still have these "personalities" around advocating for unbridled ambition and winning at any cost.

The problem with some of these guys is that they sound so.. well... normal. It's easy to be pulled into the collective consensus trance that money and power are the measure of success.

How about an alternative vision-a successful business, built on values, principles, great products and services...and a balanced life. Why would anyone want to abandon love, friendship, growth, community and rest and recreation? I know what Mr. O'Leary might say... Money!!!

Money is a cold companion.

There's far more to life than money, sex and power. These are the three opiates of modern times and every Visionmaker needs to guard against being seduced by them. 

As Dorothy Parker pointed out, "If you want to see what God thinks of money, just look at all the people he gave it to."

© Patrick O’Neill 2009. All rights reserved.