The recent cruise ship tragedy off the coast of Italy should serve as a reminder to all of us to stay humble. We should use it as a reminder to remain cognizant of our own fallibility and our own imperfections. Because while the events of that day definitely spell out negligence on the part of Captain Francesco Schettino, the real problem likely started well before that day. It most likely started somewhere around the time when his career advancement as well as his striking good looks landed him in a position of power and misguided confidence . This tragedy is a blatant example of what happens when people begin to see themselves through the eyes of those that adore them.
While the sinking of a ship is an extreme example, the problem is quite widespread. In fact, I’d venture to say that each of us at some point in time has allowed our confidence to get a little out of hand or allowed pride and ego to control our actions. Usually someone will quickly knock us back to reality. Often it is a family member (siblings anyone?) or close friend who will remind us of our mistakes and shortcomings keeping us from becoming self-made monsters. But, when a person, who is in a position of ultimate power either in career, political standing, or even family status, falls into the trap of over confidence and arrogance, tragedy happens.
Sometimes the tragedy involves the destruction of personal lives. Tiger Woods felt infallible. He believed (probably correctly) that he was the greatest golfer to ever play the game. That belief was confirmed by the media, the fans, and even his friends. I’m sure that Tiger believed his actions were somehow above the rules. I don’t think he did this consciously, I think that it was a subconscious attitude that was created by having been placed so high on a pedestal by his fans. I’d bet that Tiger loved his wife. I’d bet that he didn’t set out to do the things he did. But, he allowed his ego to run rampant and his spirit to be silenced and because of it, lives were destroyed.
Ben Roethlisberger also fell into the trap. His talent is very real. But the image created by his fans was larger than life. Ben’s actions demonstrated that he began to believe that he was somehow set apart from other people; because his fans and the media created that image. And before he knew it he had forgotten the basic values that he very likely still holds. Again, lives were derailed.
Just as Tiger began to live as if he was larger than life, and Ben began to act out in ways that are unthinkable, Captain Schettino became a hero in his own mind. He was applauded by his passengers and his friends and family all saw him as an excellent seafarer. Obviously at some point so did his employer. I’m sure he believed his skills were superior enough to handle anything and very likely he did have the skill and talent to handle the crisis professionally. But his ego took control and his arrogance took lives. It was arrogance that sank that ship, not incompetence. Cruise liners do not put incompetent Captains on the bridge of luxury liners. It was the all too human ego that caused this tragedy.
The take-away from these events should be for all of us to take the time to stay grounded, remember our spirit, our faith, and our roots. Remember who we were before we were successful; remember who we want to be even if we reach our ultimate goals. No one is irreplaceable in the workplace; no one is irreplaceable on a team. But all of us are irreplaceable to those who love us. And those who truly love us know us best. When your career is soaring, when you’re reaching your loftiest goals, take a step back. Take a look in the mirror, and make sure the person you are looking at is still the person you set out to be. Make sure the life you are living is the life that really matters to you, not the one you think matters to everyone else. I believe if Captain Schettino had
stayed on course in that way, his professionalism would have taken control of the ship instead of his ego. And if that had been the case there would have been another successful sailing instead of another senseless tragedy.
