But the death of Kumaritashvili changed all that. Now I see that all these years I was swept along with a throng of millions by the emotive visuals, the excitement and the drama as all the while the sports got increasingly insanely dangerous. The truth? They were always insanely dangerous. And now, so insanely dangerous that I have discouraged my children from watching the Winter Olympics, these are not behaviors I want them to aspire to or emulate.

And in this blog, which more often then not questions the throng rush of millions of businesses to the latest big thing, it is not too trite in light of Kumaritashvili’s death to question, with even more vigor, the rush to the latest shiny objects dangled before us.

His death is a cold cruel reminder to all of us that if we don’t stop to question the mindless dash of the mob, we too could end up in disaster. Not a life and death disaster, no. But business disaster or  personal disaster with pervasive impacts on our lives and those of others.

Every business is individual. The road taken must be right for that business. The biggest mistake businesses make is not asking “why?”. Why are we doing this? Does it make sense for us? Conventional “wisdom” may not be wise. If used it must be kept in clear perspective.

My condolences to the Kumaritashvili’s family. And my concerns to all of those who participate in Olympic Sports and especially to those who promote them: is running with the mob to push the envelope on danger for excitement’s sake a worthy aspiration?

This is a wake up call, for ALL of us.