The Oakland Raiders recently released JaMarcus Russell, the number one pick of the 2007 NFL draft. Sports websites are littered with blogs and forums debating whether or not Russell is the biggest draft flop in NFL history. Some are even arguing for a “JaMarcus Russell rule” which would cap salaries for NFL rookies (such rules already exist in the NBA). Almost all are in agreement though as to why Russell didn’t succeed: he didn’t have the work ethic or the desire. I truly do encourage you to read the Don Bank’s article about it. It says a lot.
If we have all of the money we desire, what else do we need?
Sadly, the response for many might be “not much,” and that might be our current problem. We’ve placed our desire and our motivating factors in an external item rather than an underlying principle or ideal.
I thought about Russell’s approach and contrasted with Conan O’Brien’s year. O’Brien, who went through a very public and unpleasant end with NBC, his employer for almost twenty years, was paid a huge sum of money to no longer be the host of the Tonight Show, his dream job. O’Brien was legally prohibited from appearing on television until May 1, 2010 months after his show ended. Conan undoubtedly had money. He lost his dream job. He could not appear on television–his medium for over since 1993 (and even longer if you count his time as a writer). He could not speak poorly about those who hurt him. By all accounts, O’Brien should be the one who suffered a poor work ethic.
Admittedly he did for a bit as he battled some depression from the fallout. And then he started created.
He launched a comedy tour, he opened a twitter account, and he surprised the entertainment industry by signing on for a late night show on the cable network TBS. If O’Brien just wanted money, he could have stepped away long ago, but there is something to be said about his approach. Part of the reason his exit negotiations with NBC took so long was that O’Brien spent time looking out for his writing staff and their compensation. His loyalty to that writing staff also helped launch the tour, the twitter account, and the new show.
Even with all of that said, I know that I must also keep my criticism of Russell in check a bit. As much as I’d like to claim to be a Conan O’Brien in my own life, I know that in the past when I’ve been financially secure, I’ve often had times of laziness. I can’t honestly say I was the best creator in those times. I showed up for work, but was I truly doing the very best I could? In that sense the downturn in the economy was a huge blessing for me. I really had to rethink WHY I was doing what I was doing. I posted an early blog all about this called Collis P. Huntington. Since then, I’ve been trying to focus on my motivation, my desire, and my work ethic. This doesn’t mean I’m perfect as I definitely still have lazy habits that I have to combat, but I like to think I’m working towards something. It’s brought a renewed energy towards my presentations and my time on the road. I love my job even more.
So I guess today my question is are you living your days more like JaMarcus Russell or Conan O’Brien? Or, perhaps more importantly, what are you doing to build good ships?