Sean Yazbeck Comments on Celebrity Apprentice, Episode Two

It was only Episode Two, yet the candidates were already doing what Apprentice contenders always do. Some were stepping up, while others were acting up. Some were supporting their teammates, while others were trying to shoot them down.

Let me share some of my opinions about Episode Two.

You Need to Balance Structure and Creativity

Scott and Tom were on the two opposite sides of that mental spectrum. To win a task on The Apprentice, you need really need to utilize both.  

Scott was organized and structured - but lacked creativity. Tom, on the other hand, had an abundance of creativity - and maybe not so much structure.

A leader needs to not only recognize his team’s strengths, but also recognize his or her own weaknesses. A more experienced leader than Scott would have better engaged, utilized and managed the relationship with Tom. Scott should have been able to channel Tom’s energy and creativity more positively. Rolling his eyes only worsened Scott’s situation. And if he really found it that frustrating to have Tom around, he should have found a task - any task - that involved sending him across town for a few hours.

Tom’s not stupid. He saw that Scott was giving him the cold shoulder, and it made things worse.
 
Learn to Lead Under Stress

Scott’s lack of leadership and direction induced more stress for the men’s team. They were stuck in limbo for hours. In these circumstances, when you often can’t see the forest for the trees, you need to take time out. Get out of that room for 20 minutes. Go outside. Have a cup of tea. Go smoke a fag. Clear your mind and then return.

Part of this comes with experience. In a corporate environment, you are often exposed to stress, and you learn how to handle it. After a certain amount of time, you take the rough with the smooth. The highs aren’t so high and lows not so low.

Perhaps Scott would have done well to apply all the stress-management skills he learned as a competitive skater. He certainly knows about stress and how to focus and cut out distractions. There is a message in that for all of us - the same coping skills we learn outside our jobs can help us in our professional lives too, so we shouldn’t cast them aside.

Leverage the Value from Presentations

Tom was not involved in preparing his team’s presentation, but then he was asked at the 11th hour to be his team’s spokesperson. His performance shows that his presentation skills are very strong. Well done, Tom!

On the women’s side, however, the fact that there were multiple professional TV presenters not willing to take the place of Claudia, who was clearly ill, shows that the psychological games have already started. Nobody wanting to volunteer meant that no one wanted to put herself at the risk of failing. It also showed that the women would rather see Claudia slip up than risk a personal setback.

Adopt a Long-Range Strategy

Before I won the Apprentice, I kept my head down as much I could in the early weeks before stepping up and embracing challenges. It’s a marathon, not a race that involves a lot of psychology, passive-aggressive relationships and positioning.

It may not always seem like that on TV. But believe me, there’s plenty of it going on.

I look forward to watching next week and sharing my opinions with you here. Please add your comments to this post, and your observations too. I know we are all going to learn a lot from this exciting season.