AspirAnt to being ImportAnt

Once upon a time, in a bustling ant colony, there lived an exceptionally skilled, capable, and industrious ant named CompetAnt. CompetAnt was the epitome of perfection and dedication, often staying back or staying up late to ensure its tasks were completed with impeccable quality. CompetAnt’s competence and commitment were a boon to its fellow ants. They were confident that CompetAnt would not only handle its own tasks but also theirs if needed to meet deadlines; come rain or shine.

The colony’s leader, PresidAnt, would assign a lot of work to CompetAnt. Work that required lots of thinking, lots of labor, and hence lots of hours. Often, PresidAnt would saunter over to CompetAnt’s workhill and deliver a pat on the back and a commendation of its work ethic. CompetAnt welcomed all work from PresidAnt and quietly kept working harder and harder, with the naive conviction that its efforts would eventually speak volumes and secure the coveted promotion to being ImportAnt to PresidAnt—a position recently vacated by the retiring ImportAnt.

Apart from CompetAnt there were other ants vying for the same prestigious title. The first was SmartypAnt, an old-timer in the colony with self-proclaimed intimate knowledge of every nook and cranny in the anthill. PresidAnt often sought SmartypAnt’s counsel on matters ranging from digging new holes to sealing abandoned ones. SmartypAnt always had the final word, and its final word had zero reference to any data. Well, long experience coupled with a loud voice trumps actual data and actual work any day.

The other contender was SycophAnt. SycophAnt neither had the tenure of SmartypAnt nor the capability of CompetAnt. But it more than compensated for both deficiencies with its well-timed and well-phrased compliments to PresidAnt. SycophAnt had perfected its bowing technique and had a well-stocked repository of the most flattering adjectives. It knew that in the grand scheme of things, a well-placed compliment could outshine a thousand hours of hard work and a thousand years of experience.

PresidAnt had assigned CompetAnt a project on the anthill’s holes. As expected, CompetAnt presented a meticulously researched report on the state of the anthill’s holes, complete with data on water seepage down to the microliter. SmartypAnt, in its usual fashion, dismissed the findings. Despite offering no counterevidence, SmartypAnt’s vociferous and confident demeanour, and endless tales of its tenure in the colony gained favor with PresidAnt. With a solemn nod, PresidAnt, agreeing with SmartypAnt, declared that the report was riddled with “holes” and needed more work. SycophAnt, not able to pass up what appeared to be the best opportunity for some obsequiousness, proffered extensive praise on the intelligence and ability of PresidAnt to see through “holes” in CompetAnt’s whole report.

Seemingly pleased with itself, PresidAnt started walking out of the conferencehill with its signature tripod gait, while instructing CompetAnt to rework on the report. CompetAnt, confident that further revisions would yield the same findings and holes, nonetheless decided to tackle the report with renewed vigor, trusting that its work would ultimately speak for itself and earn its due. Ah, the sweet delusion of meritocracy!

At the door of the conference hill, PresidAnt paused. A little ant who looked unfamiliar was entering the door tentatively.  “Come come my dear”, PresidAnt called out smiling ear to ear.

With a hand on the new entrant’s gaster, PresidAnt turned towards SmartypAnt, SycophAnt and CompetAnt and said, “Let me introduce NepotAnt to you!”