Google the term “stereotypical CEO” and the results that populate are jaw-dropping: “overpaid by tens of millions of dollars”, “uses company money for personal expenditures”, “greedy”, the insults go on and on. Despite the fact that many of today’s CEO’s are a far cry from the ego-driven persona found on page one of Google search results, it’s still very apparent that the average employee perceives the typical CEO as greedy, money hungry, stuffy, and selfish.
I’d like to challenge this ideology and share a little more about our CEO, Rick Cope with you.
If you follow the Nanolumens blog, you’ve probably read previous posts of mine that have shared the tales of the Cope family. Whether it was jumping off of the top of the Stratosphere in Vegas, or navigating Africa to the soundtrack of Toto, Rick Cope has an undeniable adventurous spirit that extends far beyond taking risks in the boardroom.
Most recently, our CEO and his family could be found scuba diving in the great barrier reef of Australia, canoodling with the likes of wrasses, butterfly fish, and damselfish. However, the undersea adventure certainly does not outshine the climb to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which delivers panoramic views from one of the highest points in the city.
I’m sure you’re thinking, how does this make Rick Cope different from the greedy, stuffy, and money hungry CEO stereotype? Well, it’s adventures like this most recent one, that stem as the result of a simple question of “what if we…” or “wouldn’t it be fun if we…” that separates Cope from the stuffy CEO, and instead places him into a category full of adventure, innovation, and teamwork.
The difference is not solely in the sense of adventure, but more importantly in the fact that Cope can find a great adventure, rally a great team to join him, and make a “what if” into a reality—funny, sounds a lot like what we do at Nanolumens everyday.