I have been in business for decades. I have successfully built software empires and sold them. I have been on boards of start-ups, consulted as a high powered consultant in the biggest companies in our country. I have seen all kinds, seen the greed and corruption. I have made mistakes. We all have. If I learn from them it is ok. I wear them as a badge.
There are three things I detest though, and have since I can remember:
- Ego
- Bullying
- Dishonesty
I think these are on most people’s list, although if I look at people like the crazy current American President, then one does ask questions about humanity. But I have always come up for the underdog or the down trodden. I am proud of my righteousness, and trust me, it is not the easier path to walk. Some people just cannot stand aside and let it slide.
We all have egos. I have run big projects and big business. You have to have an ego that tells you that you can lead big teams like that, with all those highly powerful and intelligent people. Sure I have an ego, as I said, we all do. It is when you believe you have a god given right to that position, when you start making people kowtow to you, then it becomes a problem.
Bullying in any form is wrong. I am not small, in fact at 6 ft.2 I am well above average in most places on earth. I have done martial arts, even if rudimentary and I can hold my own. But I am not a fighter. Yet, most of the conflict I found myself in at school was fighting people bullying my friends. Or just bullying a poor kid at school. Could never stand aside and just let it happen. Even at the larger scale, with oppressive regimes such as the Apartheid era government (that the current American Government seems hell bend to descend to), I marched and argued and resisted the police and security machinery that killed many. Whether you are in a uniform or not still gives you no right to bully!
Finally dishonesty. I am not talking about the white lie. We can include that, but really, do we not all tell those. “Honey I will be there in 5, when we full well know we have not left the pub yet”. No, I talk about the consistent, calculated, systemic lies. Those half lies you hear from Putin, Trump, Zuma and their cronies. The lies people tell about others, using the rumour mill to destroy reputations. We saw what was done with a great person such as Obama. The birther lie … this is what keep the egotistical, bullying people in power. These systemic lies to control people and get them to do your bidding.
I was one of the founding members of @SportsPodium because I so strongly believe in helping those that are downtrodden, and not given a fair chance. I myself cannot do this, not even our team can. We need to create a movement that says ENOUGH! The power is in our hands, let’s join them and change the world