# Fear and the Pursuit of Greatness By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-01-26 If greatness is the standard that most people within an organization aspire to, then most of those people will be ruled by fear. Fear emerges as the dominant motivator in a greatness culture because greatness is exclusive and competitive. There can be only one person who is the greatest. Individuals vie for this title, fight amongst themselves, and authoritarian regimes emerge. Hierarchies form that position those who are greater above those who are not. Someone is always fighting for one's current spot in the greatness hierarchy, so one must always be cautious and prepared to defend one's turf. This system can produce great industrial outcomes by creating a fairly transparent organizational decision-making and execution system. But, it does so at the cost of fear, depression, and anxiety for all involved. If one feels otherwise, consider what motivates one's decisions and feelings at work. Why does one complete a pointless task on time? Why does one get anxious during a performance review? Why does one stay late? Why does one have a work identity separate from one's home identity? One exists in a work environment of fear. Few organizations intentionally choose to pursue greatness. It is simply what everyone else is doing. The endless pursuit and elevation of greatness spurs a culture of fear and consumerism. Greatness itself is not bad, but its pursuit has consequences that reverberate through the ages, both good and bad. As one thinks about progress in the coming age, it is best to consider alternative pursuits that maintain living standards in less damaging ways. What if we pursue the mediocre and choose less to achieve more? What if greatest is best achieved as a pleasant and curious surprise that is briefly considered and then put aside as the work continues? If mediocre is enough, the hierarchy of greatness loses control, and fear ceases to be the primary driver of one's life. #### Related Items [[Fear]] [[Greatness]] [[Progress]] [[Organization]] [[Work]] [[Mediocrity]] [[Capitalism]] [[Hierarchy]]