Legend knows how to read the room.
“The fact that you’re here today,
graduates of one of the world’s greatest universities means that you’ve had to
approach life with a certain competitiveness,” explained Legend, who
related his own experience academically
competing to graduate second in his high school class, attending the University
of Pennsylvania and securing a job in management consulting (Boston
Consulting Group).
“That path required this constant
drive to push harder, reach higher, do better —to be perfect, or close to it.
I’m sure it sounds familiar,” added Legend, who regrets he was “too cool to
care” during his own college graduation ceremony.
Competition post-COVID
Legend reminded
the students that over the past year, they were forced to pause and suddenly see
themselves, not in competition with one another, but in community with each
other. Imagine that.
“We all
had to slow down. Social distance. Cover our faces. Stop filling our days with
maximum productivity, and simply keep each other safe. Keep each other alive.
Care for one another,” related Legend.
While
the competitive drive that gets students into (and through) highly selective
universities can get in the way, added Legend, a multi-talented
EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) and philanthropist.
“If you let that competitiveness take
over your thinking, you start seeing life as a zero-sum game—i.e.
for me to win, someone else has to lose.”
Legend reminded us that America’s history
has long been marred by dangerous zero-sum thinking: Those in power suppressing
people with no voice, no power, and no opportunity including workers, women, indigenous
people, black people, immigrants, the LGBTQ community. But in reality, Legend
argued that when more people made more money, rich business owners
didn’t suffer. They got more customers! Prosperity increased for
everyone.
Karen J. Koch,
CPA, MT, (Bedford Cost Segregation) told me she agreed
with Legend’s view on zero-sum thinking: “In the world of business and entrepreneurship,
it is about encircling ourselves with a team of not only bright people, but people
who have a heart and passion for the success of others. Creating an environment
where we all win, is when we can live in a world without fear, a community with
justice for all.”
Unfortunately, many professions pressure young workers into
thinking the only way to get ahead is to outwork their peers, out-network them
and bill more hours. But if this last year of remote work has taught us
anything, it’s that “work life and home life can be successfully intertwined,”
observed Randy Crabtree, CPA, (TriMerit
Specialty Tax Professionals). “By getting a glimpse into our co-workers’
family lives, we have gotten to know them in a way that we couldn't previously,”
Crabtree told me the other day. “The more we get to know about the lives and
passions of the people we work with, the more motivated and productive we all
become."
Valentino
Sabuco, Executive Director (The Financial Awareness
Foundation) told me we have been “mis-led and mis-educated” all these years
that it must be a win–lose world. “I win you lose or I don’t succeed. It really
doesn’t have to be that way. Wouldn’t it be great if CEO’s and ‘C’ class
executives would communicate this message to their employees?” asked Sabuco,
whose organization has championed financial awareness and financial literacy
for all for over 40 years.
According
to Sabuco, the 26 wealthiest people on the planet own as much as the 3.5
billion poorest! And powerful people are spending a lot to keep it that way. “Think
what this might look like if we can help the nearly billions of people around
the world living on less than $10 per day to reach even lower middle-class status.
“If we could double the buying power of the middle class, global equity markets
would skyrocket,” predicted Sabuco. “Everyone would win big, including the
ultra-wealthy. The people win by improving lifestyle and quality of life,
business people win by making more money equitably, and the world can win by
having a safer cleaner planet!”
Conclusion
Sixty
years ago, John F. Kennedy said: “A rising tide lifts all boats.” Or as Legend
observed, “We all do better when we all do better.” As Legend reminded the new graduates,
a commencement marks the beginning, not the end, of your next phase in life. You
can’t do any better than that.
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