The other night the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins played one of the most interesting playoff games I have seen in quite sometime. After building a 2-0 lead, the Sabres allowed goals in the both the 2nd and 3rd periods to allow the Bruins to tie it up. Then the two teams proceeded to square off in nearly 30 minutes of some of the best extra hockey we’ve witnessed this April. It was end-to-end action; scoring chances, save of the post season by both goalies… all around most enjoyable. Yet in the midst of this masterpiece of a game, there was a giant ugly inkblot of a staged fight between Milan Lucic and Craig Rivet. I always have to laugh when I see two grown men, being played millions to play a game that millions of us work-a-day guys pay to play, stop the action so they can square off and punch each other out. Every other credible sport ejects and more than often suspends it’s players for fighting while hockey simply asks you to sit on an individual bench for a few shifts and think about what you’ve done. I guess it speaks to man’s primordial urge to exert his will over the will of others. If I can’t skate past you, I guess a punch in the face will prove that I’m more of a man.
Thankfully life is not encapsulated in a 200 x 85 foot rink, nor does the NHL rulebook govern our office. Just imagine if after your next staff meeting when someone’s idea was chosen over yours if you cross checked that guy in the back of the head, jerseyed him and then turned to the crowds for approval. “Take that Jim!”
But what do we do when our need to dominate starts to outweigh our common sense. Many people work with (or even work for) people who we feel are far inferior to us intellectually, socially… possibly even hygienically.
;)
The inner self tells us to rise up against such injustice and prove to the world that we should be ranked higher on the food chain. Don’t we deserve to stand up for ourselves? Although we may create conflict, if the true problem is discovered than hasn’t greater good been served? This morning I read the story of David from the Bible who was a more loved and more gifted leader than the current leader of his country Saul ever dreamed to be. One day David would indeed lead his people, yet instead of usurping power, or creating rebellion, David avoided conflict. Many times, the true test of a gifted leader is the ability not to show another inferior leader up.
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