The most unrewarding game! by Tsimi Nkoa Earl Nightingale said this: ‘’the problem with most people is that they are playing the world’s most unrewarding game. And the name of the game is follow the follower.’’ The marketplace is filled with products and services that are similar to the next. And it creates a great deal of pressures on companies. And interestingly enough it doesn’t make life any easier for consumers. Think about the multitude of options someone has to consider when the time comes to buy a simple car or subscribe with an internet provider for instance. In the workplace as well, sometimes you may be ordered to stand down by your own superiors, right in the middle of a multi-department initiative designed to tackle an organizational issue, why? Your initiative is unconventional. The fact is that to be effective in our current world requires using original ideas strategically. The problem in our society is conformity Former Submarine commander David Marquet in his book ‘’Turn the Ship Around’’ tells a story about himself giving an order once, which could have endangered the entire ship. And yet his crew executed the order anyway. Luckily for Captain Marquet this was a training exercise. If the same event had occurred during battle the story would have had a different ending. Many organizations today are having a hard time because of similar dynamics occurring daily: People knowingly enforcing policies and/or practices that are destroying companies slowly and gradually because they comply. Awareness Obviously people would say that they don’t have a choice. And yes, they are protecting their jobs. And that is an issue that can’t be minimized. You can indeed get fired for doing the right thing. My point here though is the following: we need to realize that even if we think that we saved our jobs by complying, we really didn’t because the organization will eventually collapse. It might take some time but it will. We just postponed the inevitable. Execution Tony Robbins said this:’’ Most business people don’t have guts, don’t take risks and they don’t invest’’. It’s true! And chances are that even if you leave your current enterprise, the next one you’ll join will have similar dynamics. That’s why I suggest first and foremost that you think: And I mean go beyond thinking outside the box – think as if there is no box at all. Second, use your network to get some allies. Then with their help (they can also act as your eyes and ears), come up with an approach to make things better in your sector. You may not save it but it will be gratifying and it also will be an accomplishment in your résumé. And let’s face it; your career is about the only thing you can control. Tsimi Nkoa helps individuals in improving their leadership capabilities. He is the founder of the MADIGA Leadership Centre which is committed to assisting people in increasing their professional effectiveness. As a speaker who provokes audiences to think, he instills the notion of leadership as a primary driver for personal development, innovation and getting the right things done. Tsimi allows audiences to benefit from his current and practical leadership experience of the last 15 years as he also continues to develop people and drive change in the corporate world through organizations such as McKesson, ArcelorMittal and GE.