Influencers, Heroes, & Celebrities

Thoughts and a Challenge!

Been thinking, lately, about the Notorious RBG - Ruth Bader Ginsburg - one of my heroes and about our 'why' for choosing why we are influenced, why our heroes are ours, and what celebrity really means. I am very careful about to whom I attach the moniker 'hero.'

It's easy to gravitate toward someone because of their large influence or celebrity, someone whose concepts you believe in or who has influenced you, but it's important to discover if you are wrapped up because of their 'celebrity', large following, or because they are making a true difference.

In a world filled with noise, we research how to get past the algorithms on social media to be 'heard', and we are inundated with information for becoming someone people want to follow, we research how to approach prospective clients, how to shape our CV, how to 'reach' people. But it sucks time from the good work, the meaningful work.

Many of us, those in the consulting, coaching, or advising roles, all want to increase our work, expand to new clients, take that 'difference' and purpose we want to share with the world, and serve others. And we all need to make a living, so we research, try new things, do our best to expand our reach, take marketing courses, follow people we admire. Somewhere in the expanding, in the efforts to grow, it's easy to get lost. For some, there is a turning point taken, and purpose gets drowned in the efforts to be seen. (Frankly, it's exhausting and discouraging).

What does RBG have to do with this?

RGB is a hero of mine because she DID something with her purpose. She worked tirelessly believing in something and DOING something about it. She was not following, she led. She looked around at injustices and found ways to challenge, to create laws, to strive for a better way, and she brought a lot of people along with her. She did not do it for celebrity, to 'be an influencer' but to influence a positive change in the lives of others. That she became famous was not by tagging onto someone else's glory and riding the curve, she did so by making life better for others, by serving her purpose. She did the hard work, took the hits from a system unwilling to change, and found a way through to repair what she saw as broken. This quote says it all...

"If you want to be a true professional you will do something outside of yourself, something to repair tears (rips) in your community." RBG

When we refocus our work, our efforts, our time to increase our 'influence' we tend to take time away from repairing tears in our community. We steal time away from our purpose. As Mike Rowe puts it - he celebrates those 'bloody do-gooders' in his Facebook show, Returning the Favour, who are real heroes doing amazing work in their communities to make life better for others, not social media celebrities.

Distractions from Purpose

Lately, I have been inundated by new connections who will help me grow my practice - the tactics, all placing considerable focus on social media selling, influencing, numbers, and followers. Here's the burn, folks - if that's you - I'm no longer accepting those connections. I have to admit, I have been growing biased against some people's titles. I may never influence in the 100's of thousands, I may never have the kind of reach that 'influencers' and social media 'celebrities' do and I just don't believe that gaming the algorithm is part of my 'good work'. I may never be 'big' in the famous-sense, but I will be doing purposeful and meaningful work. One might argue that these tactics allow one to apply their purpose to a larger audience, but if it feels disingenuous, then it is counter to my purpose.

I have also been reached out to by someone who 'thought' I had influence, appeared sincere, then was tossed aside for another who had more impact and celebrity. I don't wish to be that kind of person in growing my business either. (As the team at KTLO always says, "we don't know where we are going, but we know who we want to be when we get there.")

My Purpose

I believe in a world where companies promote leaders who have the confidence to lead, and the humility to learn. Where top-down archaic management practices that divide and control are abolished and replaced with open, transparent, and growth-minded leaders. Those who commit to a company and to the community, who believe that corporations can also fulfill a purpose to improve the world we live in.

The Challenge

I have committed to myself that I would spend time in authenticity, that I want to call out and name the BS (bad shenanigans) and find ways to help people figure out how to deal with them. My challenge to you is this:

1. Evaluate the % of time spent serving your purpose against the % of time trying to be heard.

2. Ask yourself if you are making a difference, how you can increase that, can bravely name the challenges, and how you can bring your most authentic self to the table.

How are you repairing tears in the fabric of your community?

I am more committed than ever to do the good work, meaningful work, to make a difference, to share with others some tactics, ideas, thoughts, and ways of doing the following:

Help companies promote leaders who have the confidence to lead, and the humility to learn.

If I am on social media, it is to share, learn, and grow - not just game a system or become popular.