Dyslexics rule KO
The nasty king is dead, long live the nice king (aka Dyslexics rule KO).
Programmes like The Apprentice always divide opinion – that’s the point.
Whether you agree or not, I’d like to nail my colours to the mast and say I was nothing less than euphoric that Tom won the final (although I don’t envy him having to work with the humourless and charmless being that is – ah hum – Lord Sugar).
Why? For lots of reasons – some personal, others professional, some rational, others not:
1) He is a nice guy. He was never nasty and never resorted to petty politics. For years I’ve hated the fact that The Apprentice portrays business as a gruesome cauldron of mindless, bitchy, back-stabbing. It can be but it certainly need not be that way.
2) He is imperfect. Thanks goodness. Perfection doesn’t exist and if it did, it would be yawningly boring!
3) He is dyslexic. Research shows that most successful entrepreneurs share this in common. What a great role model for all those kids out there struggling with spelling and literacy at school.
4) He is smiley. Give me that over grim, serious and self-important, any day of the week.
5) He is funny. Hugely important in business. No matter how you cut it, business boils down to personal relationships and laughter, like in personal relationships, is one of the greatest aphrodisiacs.
6) He is an enthusiast. We need upbeat, positive and lively people in our lives. What we don’t need are the soul destroying, life sapping miseries.
7) He is an ideas man. Creativity and fertility of thought cannot be taught or bought – they are innate talents. They are the beating pulse of commercial life. It is these characteristics, above all the others, that make Tom such a such a valuable business asset. So what if he wasn’t organised or his sums didn’t add up – any monkey can learn to do that mundane stuff. Nobody can learn to be creative and fertile of thought – they are gifts given only to the few.
