The Apprentice makes for absorbing television, as ambitious young contenders strive to show us they have what it takes. An overview of the series makes it plain that Alan Sugar looks for the quick, fast-moving, fast-thinking qualities that remind him of how he started in business. That path led to a multi-million pound success story. One question he seemingly posed to himself and his attentive viewers: can it be repeated? Surely one of these bright sparks should make him the ideal partner? Or perhaps not, one surmises.
A brave new world
The problem for Lord Sugar is that the world has moved on. In the post-war world of acute shortages, almost anything sold. That has been replaced by an upsurge of global businesses where competitors abound in every area. In this highly productive world, economies of scale limit the scope for entry of new low-cost, local producers.
Complementarity, not cloning
So should Lord Sugar be looking for a replica of himself to repeat his success story? Experience in the Belbin enterprise has shown that human cloning produces disappointing results. The most successful partnerships arise where the principal characters possess complementary skills and attributes accompanied by mutual understanding. So it could be an advance if Lord Sugar were to say to himself: “What is it that I am not good at?” Given the unlikelihood that this will happen, I will attempt to answer the question on Lord Sugar’s behalf. Lord Sugar evidently believes that sharp and witty belittlement gets the best out of people. Indeed, it may be fun to see how pompous young pretenders are brought down to earth. At least sharp criticisms bring them into line. It then makes it plain who is in charge. “Is that all clear?” asks Lord Sugar, as he gives them brief instruction for the next task. “Yes, Lord Sugar,” they reply in unison. I doubt that Lord Sugar himself would have been so meek and compliant in his younger days. A streak of bossiness may have stood Lord Sugar in good stead on past occasions, but it is a feature likely to tip the scales when it comes to finding an equal partner. Many previous searches have been in vain. After weeks of competitive screening, previous winners have drifted away from their hard-won positions.
Retaining talent
Unhappy placements tend to leave. Finding candidates of quality and then keeping them are two different fields. Success leads to success. But thereafter the path steepens. Early success no longer offers any future guarantee. That is where self-insight plays a greater role than ever. Was this the reason why Alan Sugar lost his way after Amstrad failed to hold its leading position in the market? The era of immediate opportunities and quick returns was coming to an end. The material world of hardware was giving way to the more abstract era of programming and complex systems. Now progress rested on finding products and services with “unique selling points”. The engine of growth rested on painstaking research and development, on market inquiry combined with close liaison work.
Learning from our mistakes
Complex systems require teamwork. They mete out unforgiving punishment on competitors – single-strand views that tend to flourish in a command and control culture. That latter world is still with us. In its orthodox hierarchical setting, The Apprentice remains entertaining. Its operations are reassuringly nostalgic. Just like historical period pieces, such reminders free us from the everyday concerns of the present. Any faults detected in human behaviour can serve to remind us that that we are not above making the same mistake ourselves. It is more worrying if we fail to heed the lesson and repeat what we witness. The candidates in the highly competitive Apprentice progressed in a ‘blame’ culture. Each would look for faults in another. ‘Blame’ cultures are conspicuous in some firms while renounced in others. My life experience tells me that ‘blame’ cultures never work out in the long run. My hope is that Lord Sugar not given them a renewed life.
