Tweet

Is Mediocrity Contagious? Is it spreading faster than the flu?

Guest post by: John Grubbs

Article Overview: What is happening to our next generation of leaders? Have we become a nation that inspires mediocrity? Are we going through a metamorphosis and don't realize it? Do we really believe excellence comes without effort? Are we all getting infected with the mediocrity disease?

Is Mediocrity Contagious? Is it spreading faster than the flu?

What is happening to our next generation of leaders? Have we become a nation that inspires mediocrity? Are we going through a metamorphosis and don't realize it? Do we really believe excellence comes without effort? Are we all getting infected with the mediocrity disease? The tired example that still fits in my mind is the propensity to give the "participation" trophy. In an effort to make all the players happy, everyone gets a trophy. Is the happiness what we truly seek? Or, have we lost the intestinal fortitude to inspire hard work and better effort for the reward? Should everyone pass and none fail? Do we really appreciate anything that comes too easy? As a parent of two boys, I am often as guilty as anyone for giving "too much" to my children. Yet, as a society we are all infected by the same need to give a hand "out" instead of a hand "up" to those around us. Truepersonal value comes from the sense of accomplishment that is very individual and personal.Think about anything you worked very hard to achieve. The journey in retrospect is as valuable as the destination. Simple economics holds the clue to the riddle. Supply and demand are ingrained to our core. What is plentiful and easy toacquire has little value, while the rare holds precious value. This works in every facet of our lives. Applying the simple supply and demand model can improve our personal lives as well as the organizations we serve. If we develop the discipline to inspire the effort, the results are achievable. However, if we focus on the results alone, they become only a vision. Saving your money to make a "down payment"may seem cruel and unusual in today's everyone-can-have-the-nice-home society. If everyone gets the same great home, what do we work for? Do we appreciate what we have if we didn't struggle to get it? True reward comes in the struggle to improve. Whether it be sports, education or owning a home...there is great value in the struggle to achieve. Determination and stubbornness to "work hard" for the end-result is what I hope to inspire in my two boys. Achievement without effort is useless for us as individuals and as organizations. Great leaders understand that the effort and redundancy of basic principles is what yields greatness in large and small organizations alike. Only the true meritocracy can inspire world-class results.Entitlement can be the virus that kills the host. Performance holds the true key to success. Anything else only inspires mediocrity...

Related Articles
  Mediocrity at Work
  The forces of mediocrity
  How To Make Your Business Message Go Viral
  Here Is A Method That Is Helping New Managers To Delight Their Staff
  How to Get Motivated and Love Your Job Again
  Go For Your Big Dreams!
  Have You Created a Contagious Customer Experience?
  Succeeding in the Midst of Challenging Times
  Attract New Customers With Samples
  Sales Success Tip-Become a Sales Champion
  Do you like running your virus scanner?
  A World of Contradictions
  How do I use Social Networks for Marketing?
  WHY A DOWNTURN IS THE IDEAL TIME TO INVEST IN PR
  Emotion Generates Momentum
  Surviving Change The Stress It Creates
  Memorable Advice
  Surround yourself with laughter
  Is Fear Running Your Life? How To Find Your Courage Amidst Adversity
  Sales are Up and Mediocrity is Up Too

Article Tags: effort, entitlement, leadership, Mediocrity
Referred by: http://www.thetrainingbank.com/



Related Forum Posts
Downloaded Google Chrome today - I downloaded the most talk about Google chrome today. It is supposed to be faster than Firefox. I am comparing them to see which is faster. Will post my review in three days time
Re: HTML code cleaner - On the subject of achieving a faster download, especially for PIPS sites, an experienced PIPSter mentioned to me that she put a table around the whole of her homepage and achieved a faster download results.
Re: How do we increase membership here? - Promoting the heck out of it is really the best way to increase the membership. Evan and his team should be promoting it as much as possible. Us moderators and other members can help too by spreading the word about it anywhere we can.
Re: Is YouTube Going Commercial? - [quote="Kevin":1twchv0e][quote="Alan Mater":1twchv0e]You're right, Russell. Videos are great learning tools. I for one am keen on learning something by watching, not by reading. Video tutorials are great, and Camtasia can do a great job with this.[/quote:1twchv0e] The thing I don't like about videos is how the running time is fixed, whereas with reading, a person can choose to read faster if need be to save time.[/quote:1twchv0e] But by reading faster, are you still comprehending what you read? I know from personal experience that I can read something and not have a clue about what I just read. As with reading something again, you can replay videos over and over as well. Also, as with reading faster, you can skip ahead in a video.
Re: Hello from SPROUT Publishing! - Hi Sarah and forum friends, Maybe it needs a man to catapult this poste. Come on ladies. If it is not you, but you may know somebody who fits the description of this offer. Keep spreading the word, as the final day is quick approaching. Go through prospect lists and telephone a friend. It is possible their brother or sister would like to do it. Kind regards Beat


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Time management for DIY PR

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Log On

How to Sell to the Price Driven Customer

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.