PART DEUX: TRUE EMPERORS SHOULD ALWAYS BE NAKED ... AND HANG OUT WITH CIRCLES OF LOVING DETRACTORS

Observers of celebrities can move from natural skepticism to trust and followership. The celebrity leads through an assumed and artificial credibility. Observers become followers by buying into this credibility, essentially trusting a truth created and amplified by technology and made meaningful by an evolving brand, (whether well-managed or not), as the following crowd grows and sometimes even goes viral.

To varying degrees we all want to be celebrities because it means others now like us, are impressed by what we say (whether nonsense or not), do things for us when we tell them, affirm us, become our “friends”, don’t criticize or hurt us, and primarily allow us to exercise power over them. That is the bad news.

Because celebrity is a form of leadership it can become toxic. Celebrity in and of itself is not bad. We start with a neutral concept and by understanding it, attempt to deal with its realities. If leaders are defined as those with followers, then anyone with one or more followers will deal with some aspect of celebrity as we are using it. (Although we have met leaders who will make a moral cause out of denying this reality.)

Celebrity in this generic sense is going to happen to leaders with visibility whether we like it or not – but how do we keep it from getting toxic? Toxic celebrities are generally humorless about their own shortcomings, travel with followers (not loving detractors – read entourage), seek more celebrity, and constantly build their own brand. Their celebrity can turn into notoriety, when toxicity becomes public. However, these celebrity leaders may also remain effective (as they define it) or even become more effective in inappropriate ways.

We observed a celebrity once who was surrounded by about eight friends who traveled with him, and quite frankly, who ragged on him constantly. He stood up in front of crowds numbering in the tens of thousands every night and remained a regular human being. This celebrity had one of the more well-developed cores of humility yet seen.

The bottom line is that celebrity without community is toxic. “Community” in some sense provides accountability and prevents toxicity if understood properly. But, what kind of community? A “community” of mere followers, an “acquiescent” community, does not exercise accountability.

The only community that counts is a community of loving detractors.

Originally published on September 7, 2010

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In Business, Leadership Tags celebrity, credibility, humility, leadership