Is This Lesson Too Late for X CEO Linda Yaccarino: Fear Doesn't Have to Be the Default of the Knowledge Economy

 She had no presence. 

She gushed over the boss (Elon Musk). 

She talked in platitudes about the big revenue subject, that is advertising on the social network platform. 

She also gushed about the platform. 

And she wasn't able to neutralize contentions by surprise presenter former Twitter executive Yoel Roth. He asserted that the situation related to advertising safety had gotten worse, not better.

That's the story of Linda Yaccarino's presentation at the Vox Coding Conference. And, how the media outlets positioned and packaged that presentation was as THE story of the conference. Yes, it was so aberrant.

All this is about CEO of X, formerly Twitter. For years presentation coaches such as myself can detail what went so wrong. BTW, she also cancelled the plan to answer questions, although Q&A is standard at the conference. 

Given her level of what I label "fear" and the inability to bounce back in real time from a curve ball (Roth's unannounced appearance and tongue-lashing), the odds are that she doesn't have the capacity to acquire the credibility required of the CEO for a controversial business in transition.

Of course, some marketing, public relations and tech content-providers will go on following Yaccarino as if that seminal flop didn't happen. But the damage has been done. The bell has been rung. One even wonders how long she can hold onto that job. 

What I instruct clients is this: Get over the fear or get out. Where else do we smell fear? Among the sources of that odor which attracts attack are: Disney, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Big Three auto makers, along with dealers and law firm Kirkland & Ellis. 

Fear doesn’t have to be the default of the Knowledge Economy. A date remains vivid in my mind: June 1, 2022.

That was when I overrode my fear of losing out on the prestige/money/references of being a communications vendor for elite law firm Paul Weiss. I had made it, right. A street kid from pre-gentrified Jersey City, New Jersey. 

But, there had been no real work, no contract specifying duties, no metrics for performance and no NDA (and that was a law firm so suppose I said or did what was verboten and didn’t know it was...)

For two months on retainer I had been riding an emotional roller-coaster of fear. Somehow I did pull the plug. 

I have never spent another day scared and I will never allow myself to be scared again. I also launched a new enterprise.

Data or the gut for your careers and communications? Both of course. Complimentary consultation with intuitive coach, content-creator, and Tarot reader Jane Genova (text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com).