I just saw this video posted to LinkedIn with the following caption:
Salute to this runner Rei Iida, 19, fell and fractured her leg during a relay marathon in Japan but she crawled to her partner on her keens despite broken legs to pass the baton,How many of us has this passion to win and conquer the odds ?
How incredibly dumb. To hold this up as a positive example to follow is idiotic and perpetuates toxic workplace cultures that celebrate individuals who sacrifice their health, private lives and families in pursuit of their own or the company’s goals.
I think the true hero would have been:
- The runner who decides to stop the race and get medical attention
- The team mate who helps the injured runner
- The coach who stops the team right there
It also speaks to some of the most damaging myths in business namely that success can only come from suffering or that quitting is a sign of weakness. Both of these beliefs are clearly wrong and clearly bad for workers.