I am in two minds right now as I write this blog. I could do the popular thing and take the moral high ground, or I could state my opinion and possibly face offending some people. Anyone that regularly reads my blogs will know that I will always give my opinion, as it is my opinion and I value the fact that I can freely give my opinion.
I am not an optimist or a pessimist; I am a realist. I accept that the world is not perfect, actually it is far from perfect. There is abuse, bullying, nepotism, social class, political scheming and many other derogatory factors around in our society. I do not agree with how they are used, but I am aware that they are there and are a factor that we have deal with.
The World Is Not An Even Playing Field
As part of my work in impact I have studied those who have become successful within their field, and also those who didn’t quiet make it. The one factor that I have noticed is the “whingers” rarely make it to the top. I say rarely as I have not found a successful whinger yet.
Over the past few months I have noticed a significant increase of those in the public eye being offended by what they hear, see and read. However, my main observation has been in the way those who have been offended have dealt with the situation. Many have immediately labelled those who made the statement that caused offence as sexist, racist, misogynistic, homophobic and bigoted to describe the person personally for their non-politically correct statement.
Today public scrutiny is so much easier to receive. Public figures have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the old fashioned press via the internet to interact direct with the public. This makes a direct connection or a perceived direct connection so much easier than in the past.
But here is the bottom line;
if You Cannot Handle The Heat, Then Get Out Of The Kitchen!
To make an impact you have to handle the public scrutiny that comes with fame. The more exposure you have, the more you are “available” to the public and are likely to have to deal with a considerable amount of mud slinging and abuse. It’s a sad fact, but being a realist it has become the norm in our current society.
Handling the scrutiny to be impactful is all down to how much resilience you have to deal with what gets thrown at you; regardless of how offensive it might be. Should you be seen as breaking under this scrutiny, you will be seen as not being able to cope under pressure; and pressure increases with authority. If your resilience levels are generally low, then don’t enter a role where you are subject to considerable scrutiny as you will be setting yourself up for failure.
Personally I have experienced considerable abuse, rejection and hateful comments. Plus I have seen that behaviour administered to others. I don’t agree with it and will champion against bullying always, but I also know that some negative comments will come with the journey to the top.
Today I read an article by Shadow UK Home Secretary, Diane Abbott who stated that this abuse “puts women off politics”. Frankly, this should offend most women! In this one line she is doing a disservice to women who aspire to be in politics. She’s indicating that the abuse is causing women to shun this profession, almost as if they are not tough enough to handle the pressure. I feel she is adding fuel to the argument that women are perceived as not strong enough to cope with such roles in the public eye! Diane Abbott, that’s rubbish!
The UK parliament has made massive strides since 1983 when there were only 23 women MPs; and yet at the time, we had a woman Prime Minister. Today in 2017 there are 195 women MPs; and yet again, we have a women Prime Minister.
Don’t tell me that both these women PMs had a smooth ride and never faced any abuse. We know they had their fair share, and with Theresa May she’ll still have more to come. The difference is how they handled and handle it. That is what makes a great leader whom others aspire to be like.
From my research, neither women wrote an article to complain or whinge about it. Instead they eloquently demonstrated their strength and determination by achieving their position on merit.
Lets be completely honest, if you want to change the world, you are going to have to grow a thicker skin regardless of your race or gender.
I believe it comes down to the six core segments of impact. Or to put it simply just one; character.
The powerful women in the public eye today have all had to fight for their position and success. Yet it is the ones who have got on with it in male dominated fields without complaining that we really remember like Oprah, Karren Brady, Adele and Arianna Huffington.
To conclude, the marketplace, and any marketplace, does not care whether you are a man or a woman as long as you can deliver and deal with the pressure of your position. If you are likely to take offence, the marketplace will see you as someone who lacks the eloquent composure needed in a high profile role.
- How to Make Yourself Marketable as a Business Owner. - October 2, 2019
- Starting A New Business – Know your market landscape - September 24, 2019
- Starting a New Business – The Prepared Business Owner - August 22, 2019
