Losing Focus

There is a conflict between the idea of “leave your ego at the door” and meritocracy. If we believe in a world where the quality of life you can live is determined by your “underlying permanent” skill and knowledge, then constant evaluation of an individual’s fundamental intrinsic worth makes sense. If you believe in Elite teams, then you need to be regularly dividing people into groups that are good enough, and not good enough. The justification for meritocracy is that all boats rise if resources are pushed to those who are the best. Not for spending. For reinvestment. Politics is bound to be brutal and closeted if you pretend to be gods. Ego gets left at the door when it is all hands on deck to find solutions. When someone is confident enough about their place that the focus is on the problems, not the person. If you are surrounded by naked emperors, the focus is likely to be on, smaller things.

Graffiti in Tartu

Elite Team

If you want to be part of an Elite Team, you first have to accept the idea that there are people that aren’t good enough. You have to accept the possibility that you aren’t good enough. That there is someone who deserves your spot more than you. If you push the idea of Meritocracy to its extreme, and believe in surrounding yourself with the best, you need to be consistent. You need to listen to that voice in your head that asks if you are good enough. The impostor syndrome that makes you feel inadequate. That means you have never reached the goal. Elite Teams aren’t about the individuals. They are about the Team. They require sharp knives. Personally, I don’t want to be part of an Elite Team. I don’t care if you think I am enough. I don’t find the question of whether you are enough interesting. What interests me is your incentives. Your passions. The way you create meaning. What interests me is the way you connect to others. What you do every day. That is enough.

Are you the best?