Alive In The Land Of Ameritocracy
Friday, May 29th, 2009 by Mark | Posted in Unconventional Thinking | CommentsAmerica is the greatest nation in the world for a rich lode of reasons.
But none more powerful than the fact that we are, and always have been, a meritocracy. The best and the brightest, the toughest and the most determined, rise to the top of the zigguraut regardless of their family connections, lack of Ivy parchment or bank accounts to fuel their rise.
For the most part they are brutes, nerds, outcasts, loners, independents, mutts, crazos, absolutists: all determined to paint a stripe across the globe. It doesn’t matter to them if they are a threat to the privileged or those who want everyone to play ball on equal footing even if they are capable of spellbinding accomplishments: they just go ahead and do what we are all so fortunate to be able to do in the land of Ameritocracy.
They are Lincoln, Ford, Nixon, Truman, Feynman, Winfrey, Jobs, Ginsburg, Reagan. They are the meritocrats. I will trade you a bushel of technocrats, bureaucrats, aristocrats for just one of them.
In our country, there are those who now believe we should do away with valedictorians, wealthy entrepreneurs, rich compensation even if it is tied to performance. If everyone is more or less equal, they believe, everyone will be happy, more or less.
The problem–and I view this as a glorious “problem” to have– is that the meritocrats will never comply. They will be fired from their jobs for imprudence. They will be terminated for taking undue risk. They will be chastised for being dangerous minds.
I wish they would all work with me at MSCO.
The truth is, we don’t need upstarts daring to challenge conventional thinking. We don’t have to have restless spirits provoking the ire of middle (mis)management. We don’t have to have true business people challenging the snake oil salesmen on Capitol Hill. 
But then again, perhaps we don’t need progress, economic might, cures for cancer, stem cell research, great companies for our bright grads to learn the lay of the land, small businesses that take the risks, pay the taxes and employ nearly everyone.
Perhaps we don’t need a meritocracy. But thankfully, under the stars and stripes, no one can make it go away. It is smarter and tougher and more decisive than all of the forces that may line up against it.
At the individual company level, it is and always has been the key to success. Once people work at a business because they feel entitled or are treated as such, once they seek to protect their interests as opposed to encouraging others to rethink what they do and how they do it, the business begins to falter.
It is a dead man walking. It will die, and sooner than the caretakers on top believe to be the case.
The fact is, meritocracy is not an option. It is a must. And once you make excuses that dance around that, you are on a slippery slope.
You must adopt and live by a Meritocracy Manifesto:
* No second class team members.
* No faith in the status quo
* No marketing that fails to produce a measureable ROI
* No excuses for your own failures or shortcomings.
It is one thing to be privileged to live and work in an Ameritocracy. It is another thing to live up to it.
Something we should remind ourselves every day.
Mark Stevens
CEO
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