Is The Pursuit of Celebrity Good For Business?

Apparently, achieving fame is a universal motivator, and it is not just an “American thing.”  in fact, recent surveys in China and Germany have found that about 30 percent of adults report regularly daydreaming about being famous. Further, more than 40 percent of respondents expect to enjoy some passing dose of fame. These numbers are consistent with those found in the USA. Clearly, a large minority seem to long for their “15 minutes” of fame.

Are people who have this overriding desire to be widely known to strangers important to have in top leadership roles within business?

It seems to work for Bezos, Musk, Jobs and Zuckerberg

Sure, it can be said that these celebrity leaders started out primarily coveting wealth and influence. But, might there be something else at work?

For instance, how many of us can name the Chairman of the Board at Daimler AG and the CEO of Mercedes Benz? Surely, Daimler AG is a big, successful business. But, its CEO, Ola Källenius doesn’t hold rock star status — at least for most people.

That said, we can safely say that celebrity leaders are not a prerequisite for a business’ success.

So, is it also possible that the fame-seeking behavior of some business leaders rooted in something else? Perhaps, a desire for social acceptance, a longing for the existential reassurance promised by wide recognition?

I discuss this topic and its impact on businesses with consultant and Cast Member Season 2 The Social Movement (TV Series) Rhett Power in this episode of  The Indispensable Conversation on LinkedIn Live.

WATCH IT HERE

Please be sure to let us know if there were any “A-ha” moments for you.

By the way, my 6th book: Indispensable: Build and Lead A Company Customers Can’t Live Without (Humanix, February 2021) is available for pre-order. It provides dozens of examples from industry-leading companies like Amazon, BMW and Apple to reinforce its key points. Each chapter helps you to learn how visionary business leaders like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Jamie Dimon are already applying these ideas in today’s business world.