The Apprentice: How to Succeed by Whining, Cat Fighting, Hiking Your Skirt
By Chuck Durakis, Special to the Daily Record

March 19, 2004 – It seems the hottest show on TV these days is "The Apprentice," a reality show about 16 young professionals competing for a chance to work for America's favorite tycoon, Donald Trump.

Unlike the aspiring actors found on "Survivor" and "The Bachelor," these individuals are highly motivated and educated, and they have enjoyed success either as an entrepreneur or within a corporation.

Divided into two teams, each week the contestants are given an assignment. The team with the most successful outcome returns to their opulent suite at the Trump Plaza.

The team that fails goes to the dreaded boardroom, where one of them will hear the fateful words: "You're fired." After 16 weeks, one lucky contestant will win the ultimate career prize: a job as president of one of Trump's companies, with a $250,000 annual salary.

If only it were that easy! There is very little that is "real" about this reality TV show.

The teams are cloistered in a luxury suite at the Trump Plaza for the duration of the show's taping. Even the boardroom is a stage set in the basement of the Trump Tower. And most unfortunate is the sad reality that big companies do not use sweepstakes and contests to choose their executive teams.

Successful CEOs know that there are tried-and-true methods for attracting and retaining the best top talent that have nothing to do with selling $1,000 glasses of lemonade or negotiating the best price for a leg wax.

CEOs want candidates who are proven leaders and achievers. They need highly motivated individuals who understand their vision and can build on it. In addition, top candidates are people who can communicate the company's mission and inspire others to jump on board.

Ethics, honesty and integrity are absolutes. CEOs need executives who are as good as their word. Notice how many times Trump has scolded the team members for acts of disloyalty, rudeness and dishonesty, usually followed by the words: "You're fired." In today's boardroom, thankfully, character still counts.

Regardless of a job candidate's skills and experience, he or she still must prove to be a strong match for the company culture. Some companies are very bureaucratic, with systems and hierarchies for decision-making, delegating and implementing tasks.

Others are more entrepreneurial in spirit, valuing independence, self-motivation and creativity above all else. A candidate who is not the right fit will fail in the wrong environment.

This is where many of the "Apprentice" contestants keep falling short. Accomplished though they may be as entrepreneurs and independent consultants, they are failing at the basics of teamwork, delegating tasks and sharing responsibility for outcomes.

One area where Trump gets it right is in focusing on results. At the end of the day, the CEO is in business to make money. Successful candidates are able to track and demonstrate their contribution to the bottom line, whether in increased sales, reduced overhead or streamlined procedures. Results count.

Energy and passion cannot be underestimated. Effective leaders know that what they do makes a difference, and have a high "emotional intelligence" quotient that strongly connects with people. In the same vein, communication skills are key to success. Good leaders listen. They gain the respect of their team because they show respect.

For aspiring executives, the "Apprentice" is best viewed as a primer in what not to do to get ahead. People who are self-absorbed and in it for themselves (like most of the Versacorp and Protégé team members) are not going to survive long in an environment that values teamwork, loyalty and cooperation.

Ambition and aggressiveness, when used to strengthen the team, can bring success. What does not work is ruthlessness, risking the success of the team to enhance one's standing with the CEO.

Above all, CEOs are looking for leadership – the quality that is the most difficult to come by and measure in a candidate. Many believe you either have it or you don't.

Top leaders surround themselves with talent and have the ability to build great teams. They become magnets for talent. And they have the ability to take a group of diverse people with varied skills and transform them into an effective team with a unique organizational culture.

It may not be an attribute that translates well on prime-time television, but it's what makes the difference between good and great in businesses and organizations everywhere.

Chuck Durakis is president of Durakis Executive Search, a Timonium-based executive recruitment agency. For more than 20 years, Durakis has been delivering top-level talent to companies that range from early-stage startups to Fortune 1000 organizations.