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What a incredible spirit and energy! The passing of Michael Jackson is sad and definitely worth a pause for reflection. From an adult boy to a childish adult, everyone is not without his influence. For better or for worse, his status was iconic. Even recently, selling out 50 shows in London, it was clear that he could wield influence at the drop of a hat, err, glove and keep on moving. Everyone is talking now that a comeback, on some level, was inevitable. What did Michael Jackson do to grow to such heights? John Quelch a voice over at Harvard Business Publishing blogs, wrote an article this morning discussing the brand of MJ, “How Michael Jackson Became a Brand Icon.” He suggests the following:
Countless books advise how to build your personal brand. Michael Jackson was so unique that he cannot realistically serve as anyone’s role model in that effort. Yet Jackson was unquestionably a brand icon and there are lessons to be learned. Here are the top ten factors that explain his icon status.
- Start early.
- Let go.
- Break out.
- Get help.
- Be visible.
- Go global.
- Crown yourself.
- Be vulnerable.
- Give back.
- Die young.
As Quelch mentions, this is unusual and not a course of action all of us could or would want to take. I for one am not looking to die young, but lessons are deeply embedded in here.
Start early, start now. Time is of the essence. Tackle that constant debate between sticking with what “works” or “pays the bills” and with what you are good and passionate about. The easy trap is checking to make sure all of your ledgers are in order before you make a decision, don’t. Without fail, every time I stepped away from the “perfect” opportunity to take the more sensible job, the former would have not only been more fulfilling but would have ended up being more financially fruitful. Serve your passion to the world, first and foremost, putting your value foot first.
Get help, find a mentor. Bring expertise into your work. Build community support around you. When you serve and appreciate a community of people in a healthy way, they return the favor.
Crown yourself. Tell people who you are and what you do. Otherwise, they will do it for you. It’s OK to crown yourself for the good you are doing, just do it true to your words.
Be vulnerable. Without authenticity and honesty, you bring nothing to the table.
Give back. This is essential. All big names do it. The question is how they do it. Wikipedia shares that MJ “donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his foundation, charity singles and support of 39 charities.” Check out Philanthropy.com’s take here and uncivilsociety.org’s here. With MJ we encounter the conflict of giving money and mobilizing money, nothing more. Or did he do more?
As people mourn the death of the pop star Michael Jackson, fans, the news media, and others are discussing his charitable work, which some say paved the way for the current surge in celebrity philanthropy. -Philanthropy.com
The dustup over Jackson’s alleged charitable profiteering [with charity songs] provides an instructive example about social business for those of us in the social enterprise community. In our world…the idea of getting some personal returns from a charitable enterprise is not inherently problematic—-musicians need to earn a living just like anyone else, even professional nonprofiteers. Besides Michael Jackson, John Lennon had some rather pointed things to say about this, astutely observing how various promoters & benefit workers profit from charitable work but expect musicians to give all their labor for free. Nonetheless, there’s a popular impression that a charitable benefit should be wholly outside the realm of exchange, to the point that no one in the endeavor–not even the grunts–should get paid.
The fact that this expectation exists does not, of course, mean that we have abide by it, but for those of us who don’t have the luxury of being international superstars this perspective can pose some difficult problems, from loss of needed donor support to the occasional legislative crackdown.-Jeff Trexler on uncivilsociety.org
So is giving, just giving? Or do we need to be more purposeful, cautious and without profit from our activities? I think this provides a couple of lessons. First, that if you are going to give and make it part of who you are (which you should), you are open to criticism. Whether it be time, money, or services authenticity is under immediate scrutiny. Serve with your heart and mind. Bring legitimacy to your brand through proper management of your good deeds. Use strategy to enhance the effectiveness of your service and your own gains. Let your values drive you, not your checkbook. The public knows which is which. Second, address the risk of full on scrutiny by being transparent and forthright with information. That is just the first step. This must be accompanied with a process that actively involves all stakeholders influenced by or with an influence on your good-will. There should be no question that it is good that you are doing and causing, especially by those in receipt of it. This ensures you will also receive the benefits you were seeking, with your value foot stepping first.
Question how you use your influence.
A moment of silence for the ‘King of Pop…’
Thoughts? Have you been influenced by MJ’s giving? Have you run into conflict with public questioning of your service and giving?
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