"Drunk Leadership," Or When the Narcissists Are in Charge - Looking Like We've Had Enough of That

 At the sentencing of fraudster Elizabeth Holmes, US District Judge Edward Davila reflected on how that saga came to be. One explanation he put out there was that Holmes became intoxicated with fame. 

As we enter a quite sobered-up world economy in 2023 that type of behavior might go down as "drunk leadership." That is, the narcissists are in charge and when they are they can cause catastrophe.

In Politico Joanna Weiss declares that amid the turbulence of 2022 we tired of that version of ego-driven self-absorbed behavior. We got it: Rule-breaking in itself is not necessarily a harbinger of disruptions which will change the world for the better. Yes, there had been the Steve Jobs type. He came through on the promises. More haven't.

So, those who are assessed as committing "drunk leadership" could be in for rough handling in 2023.

For Elon Musk that has already started. His supposed genius is being questioned, especially in how he is operating Tesla. Investors are furious with the stock price dropping to 123.15 from the 52-week high of 402.67.

And what about boomerang Disney CEO Bob Iger? There the stock price has sucked too. Instead of The Hero Returns saga is the real story this: He made a lousy succession choice with Bob Chapek. Then he attempted to course correct by undermining that selection? It was during that almost three-year regime of Chapek that things went south. That includes the stock, which plunged 45% in 2022 and is the lowest since 1974.

Can Iger transcend his own high-octane persona to turn the corporation around? 

On point: Will public corporations circle back to the concept of the “servant leader,” veering away from “Celebrity CEO?” 

In the 12-step recovery model those with responsibility are called “trusted servants,” not “leaders.” 

The chair of Paul Weiss Brad Karp views the firm as “purpose-driven.” Actually “white shoe branding” have fallen out of favor.

In politics, the non-narcissists like Joe Biden are grabbing back the edge. Currently 85% of fellow Democrats approve the job he’s doing. That can mean he can count on the fundraising for himself if he goes for a run in 2024 and for those he endorses. Among the big players in that are the deep-pocketed influential law firms, which Blue Tent identifies as:

Paul Weiss

Kirkland & Ellis

Latham

Wilmer Hale

Akin.

Not unthinkable: There could be the kick-off a trend to financially support those not so obvious in chasing attention. Instead they are focused on providing selfless service. The nation is weary of relentless self-promotion. A sign of that is the embrace of boring as trustworthy.

Meanwhile, of course, a growing number of those celebrities who earned a lot through endorsements are finding themselves in legal and reputational trouble. They range from Tom Brady to Kim Kardashian. 

What we knew as the influence game in 2022 could implode in 2023. That star wattage could be replaced by our relying on professional anonymous networks, AI Chatbots, close friends, and our own good judgment.  

A novel class action lawsuit would be to allege the attention-grabbers were public nuisances and to seek injunctive relief.

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