Lessons Learned Blog by Randal Pinkett
Trump University

Episode One:
BE A TEAM PLAYER IF YOU WANT PERSONAL SUCCESS

This week's task - The teams created, baked and sold cupcakes from mobile sales vans that they designed. The team that earned the most money through sales would win. Midway through the task, Donald Trump added a wrinkle -- each team's cupcake would be tasted by the owners of Crumbs Bake Shop in New York. The winner of that taste test would receive a $15,000 bonus.

Who won? - The women of Team Athena (led by Joan Rivers) sold $61,257 worth of cupcakes - plus they won the $15,000 taste test from Crumbs. The men of team KOTU (led by Herschel Walker) sold $49,449 and lost. The tally? Joan Rivers got to give $121,000 to her charity, God's Love We Deliver -- the total of both teams' sales, plus Mr. Trump's tasty $15,000 bonus.

Who did Donald Trump fire? - After some rough skirmishing in the board room, Andrew Dice Clay.

This week's episode taught great lessons about teams. Let's take a closer look.

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Lesson One: Don't Air Your Team's Dirty Laundry

In the season's very first meeting with Donald Trump, Jesse James said that his team's chosen name, KOTU, "sucked." What a stupid thing to say to a man who will be judging his team in the weeks to come.

So disagree behind closed doors all you want at work. That's part of teamwork. But never badmouth your team to outsiders. You need to present a strong image to the people who judge your performance.

Lesson Two: Lesson Two: If You Think You're Better than Your Teammates, You're Wrong!

Andrew Dice Clay complained to Donald Trump because there were no bagels in the boardroom for the first meeting. He interrupted Ivanka. He belittled Donald Trump and called him "Donnie." He made crude comments to a beautiful Trump Organization receptionist. But Andrew wasn't the only loose cannon! Annie Duke overrode Joan Rivers' authority to the point where Joan called her "Mussolini." Dennis Rodman refused to get out of his team's truck to sell cookies. Whose game were they playing? Donald Trump's or their own?

So don't take a job on a team that you feel is beneath you. If you cannot commit yourself wholeheartedly to your team's cause, look elsewhere.

Lesson Three: Learn the Past to Master the Future

To raise the most money possible, candidates from both teams pulled out their address books and called their wealthy contacts. It was a highly successful money-raising tactic introduced last season by Gene Simmons.

So learn from the past! Some of the candidates had obviously studied last season's events. You can master the past too, by studying earlier events in your company, your position and your industry. Remember that not every great idea is a new idea.

Lesson Four: Use Every Team Member's Strengths

Jesse, who is an expert in car customizing, designed the exterior of KOTU's cookie van. Brande Roderick, a Playmate of the Year, parked team Athena's truck near Playboy headquarters in New York so her colleagues could walk right out their door and buy cookies.

So remember to let every member of your team play to his or her strengths. The more talent and synergy you can get behind your team efforts, the faster you will build your own career.

Lesson Five: You Can't Hide

Andrew Dice Clay said that he couldn't be responsible for his team's loss because he hadn't actually baked any cupcakes. We've seen this ploy in earlier Apprentice seasons: If you don't do anything, you can't get blamed when your team loses. But this strategy has never worked! In past seasons, only contestants who stepped up to take leadership reached the final group of contestants.

So step up, take risks, and lead. Winners never hide - they stand out!

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What will happen next week? We have never seen a season where team members fought so much in the first episode! Unless the candidates pull together into teams, individual contestants will have a very hard time demonstrating their leadership in the weeks ahead.

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Related Links

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http://www.trumpuniversity.com/blogs/apprentice/index.cfm

Trump Challenge
http://www.trumpuniversity.com/apprentice/index.cfm

Randal Pinkett's product The No-Money Down CEO
http://www.trumpuniversity.com/products/entrepreneurship/no-money-down-ceo.cfm