The Confession of a Tiger

Barely a week in the Year of the Tiger, a Tiger has attracted the focus of the world by making his first public appearance after the explosion of details regarding his personal life. Yes, it is about what Tiger Woods said last night.

Tiger Woods faced the public again last night after disappearing when his cars met an accident and, as what the old saying says, the rest was history. The transcript of his public statement could be read here.

What interest me was the part when he explained why he did what he did. "I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled".

While the explanation was brief, the lesson learnt was huge.

How many of successful persons feel the same? The fact that they worked hard to arrive at where they are, this sense of entitlement could be very tempting and rational to justify why they can cross the line. For a politician for example, this could mean using his position to benefit financially because he believes he deserves the rewards for his contribution to the society. The same could apply for senior government servants and corporate players.

I trust we should also reflect on the experience of Tiger, and see whether we could fall on the same trap, feeling entitled based on our hard work and contribution.

Perhaps, the confession of  this Tiger provides other "Tigers" with guidance and opportunity to reflect, and avoid the trap that appears to be real and dangerous.