Late Final: : Boot Licking, Etc.

Boot Licking, Etc.

Late Final did not provide coverage of last night's finale of "The Apprentice," but a reader offered this review of Thursday night's program in the comments on this post:

Trump likes males who know how to stay inside the box. The military training gave Terry the proper boot licking skills. Jen, on the other hand, had passion, courage, and guts, and has proven herself by aceing Harvard and Princeton, making her own way into buisness, and Trump was afraid of her. Jen, you don't know how lucky you were to escape that organization. You are too smart for boot licking.

Without the benefit of even having watched the program, one would wonder why someone with Harvard and Princeton on her resume would enter a game show for a job.

By Ed Moltzen · 17 December 2004

Comments

Its a shame that we live in a cynical society that thinks first that loyalty, dedication and teamwork is "bootlicking." Sure, you don't want a "Yes Man" (or Woman), but when coworkers start from a place of trust in your colleagues, then a foundation for a successful business exists. Leading CEOs have a certain radar for this trait...when the fertilizer hits the fan, can (s)he be trusted?

All the Ivy League degrees in the world cannot teach this. It comes from the heart, and its not mutually exclusive of passion, courage and guts, too.

More and more employers look for military background than this poster actually knows. And Jen will even agree that her business classes at both Harvard and Princeton study the military model in great detail as a best practice in business leadership.

Finally, The Apprentice is probably the most reality-based of the reality shows, but not all "realities" guarantee success in business. If Trump has any fear of Jen (doubt it), its because he's afraid of hiring the wrong person.

Posted by: Roy at December 18, 2004 05:56 PM