When I think about those in business I want to learn from and admire most, I realize it isn't about how big their company is or what they created or discovered. The common traits that catch my attention are generosity and humility as characteristics I find most appealing.
Great thinkers and determined innovators are certainly worth paying attention to but they may not whom I admire.
Traitt
The internet has changed the world in so many ways that I dare not attempt to cover them all in this post but what I do want to point out is how it has changed marketing and movie stars.
I lump these two very different entities into one sentence because there is almost no difference today. For the first time in our history, there is a wide range of CEOs, from large companies and small, that have as much star power if not more than most movie stars.
You may have read about a CEO in the business section of a newspaper in the past but more than likely you saw a movie star bigger than life across the silver screen acting in some role that either you identified with or romanticized about. Today, CEOs can take on that same power and build their brands through digital stardom.
Between YouTube, Digital News, blogging and micro blogging, news travels fast and everyone is fair game for exploration and exploitation. The bottom line is that your life is revealed on line with or without you.
As I speak with clients, prospects and audiences about reputation management and social media marketing, sometimes it rings a bell with them and some run for cover. And just so you know, with the Internet in play, there is no cover.
Only revealing the polished version is what holds respect and admiration is a bygone belief. Allow me to share two examples of individuals I consider well worth admiring.
Recently I ran into two individuals at the New York Enterprise Best Advisors Awards event.
Norm Brodsky is not only a successful business man, he is also a best selling author of The Knack and a regular contributor to Inc. magazine with his column Street Smarts. Just before he got up to address the audience at WIBO's Annual Awards Event, a cap on one of his front teeth fell out. He could have feigned illness and left quickly but instead he chose to stand up and make the best of it. My admiration for this man quickly magnified. He not only shared his challenge but wove it beautifully into demonstrating the meaning in his speech and sprinkled in humor fueled by humility. This made him more lovable to the audience and was a picture perfect example of Grace Under Fire. I was never more motivated than I was that evening. I knew right then and there that what was important to this man was not how he was perceived but what he contributed. This is someone I want to learn from - this is someone I admire and could trust.
A little later that same evening I ran into another individual whom I admire and respect, Matt Weiss. Matt is a successful lawyer who has embraced social media. I believe initially he engaged social media to grow his business, and as a leader in EO (Entrepreneurs Organization) to connect, share, and learn. Matt blogs regularly and some of his posts were inspired by being a father (getting to movies like Toy Story 3 and making the connection to best business practices) and a more controversial post on getting a colonoscopy. Both posts demonstrate fresh thinking and a commitment to being true to himself.
A lawyer discussing a child's movie and a medical procedure might seem unprofessional to some, but these posts earn him greater respect and admiration. When you decide on who you would want as your lawyer, having someone who communicates that they are in touch with the same world we live in and is open to share challenges in a positive light, well this would be my lawyer of choice.
Why? He demonstrates two key characteristics through his blog posts. First he 'gets it' and isn't that nine-tenths the challenge when we want to communicate an issue or concern and second he reveals himself with honor and integrity.
Now, if only I needed a lawyer.
If you are a CEO or entrepreneur who is in hiding from the world or keeps their company under the digital radar, the only question that comes to mind is just what are you hiding? Are your services or products sub par? Is your company being run poorly? Are you the type of person only your mother could love?
No company is perfect and no human beyond reproach. So if you are committed to being a good business citizen and have some redeeming qualities, you might want to share those so that when there is a mistake or a problem you have a platform to move through it and earn back what ever you may have lost or are at risk of losing.
Get on board, be real, be transparent and lead the way.
Transparency - A Leadership Trait Traitt
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