Just about 24 hours apart, President Biden and Will Smith delivered teaching moments to leaders everywhere in how to lose the message via the delivery. Both Joe and Will delivered comments that I think we all sympathize with inside our heads at least. Joe wishing that Putin would simply go away and Will wishing to put a cork in hurtful comments about his wife who he clearly loves deeply. But both took what I would term “left turns” and delivered their messages in ways that hurt their messages and their overall missions.
What Biden Said
During his speech to the world from Warsaw on the subject of Russian aggression in Ukraine, Joe Biden, The President of the United States, said; “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” I can’t fault his position, only that the President does not openly call for regime change. There were so many ways to say this. The people of the world are behind the sentiment. Even close allies of Joe’s could have said it out loud. However, it is simply not the place of the President to make such a call on a world stage.
What Smith Said (And Did)
Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s very short-cropped hair saying he couldn’t wait for GI Jane II. Will Smith apparently took this as a slight related to Pinkett Smith’s battle with alopecia. Smith said; “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.” right after bitch-slapping Rock on stage in front of the millions of people watching the Academy Awards live. This happened just minutes before he was to accept his first Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in King Richard (2021).
During his acceptance speech, Smith said; “I want to say thank you to Venus and Serena and the entire Williams family for entrusting me with your story. That’s what I want to do. I want to be an ambassador of that kind of love and care and concern.”
I think it’s safe to say that his actions and comments earlier in the evening muted his attempt to be an ambassador of love, care and concern. Which is really too bad. I think he had a pretty good platform for that message before his words and actions spoke louder than his movie role.
For his part, Rock played the role of the bigger man, declining to press charges when asked by the police.
How Executives Should Communicate
There is a lot to unpack here as far as I am concerned. When I made Partner at Ernst & Young, I took part in New Partner Training. A weeklong program at Camel Back in Arizona. Of the week, the firm gave two days to Dr. Martin (Marty) Stoller, PhD and professor of Rhetoric at the Kellog School of Business. Sadly, Marty is no longer with us. He was dying of brain cancel when he was teaching our session. I am honored to be one of the last classes he probably taught.
Marty taught us that in a rhetorical situation, that is, no-one will die if you don’t act, it is critical to maintain your head and stay on message. I guess for an actor, usually provided with the critical lines, adlibbing could be treacherous waters. But for a public speaker like Biden, who not only had a speech to follow, but who knows the consequences of on-air gaffs like Reagan’s, “The bombing begins in five minutes" gaff, this is public speaking 101.
Reagan went on to be one of the most revered, and impactful presidents, with an excellent body of well thought out speeches and positions. But that event didn’t advance his mission or message.
I thought Denzel Washington’s private words to Smith at the Oscars; “At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.” Were impressive and on-point. He and Rock were both exercising good judgement and presence of mind in a tense evening that will no doubt be analyzed to death.
Call To Action
I offer these thoughts which are nothing more than common sense and stuff we should have learned in kindergarten:
1. Perhaps the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should end the practice of biting humor from hosts on stage at the Oscars. I have watched Tom Hanks and other dignified individuals cringe in the past. If it’s worth our time to honor entertainers in this way, instead of doctors, inventors or others, then why would we seek to cut them down with truly biting and cringe worthy insults? What purpose is served here?
2. Know your message and your mission and stay on message and on mission. Just three sentences is all you need. Keep returning to them. If you would like us to help you with some emergency communication thoughts in a calm moment before you need them, or even in a crisis when you need them, call me.
3. Smith owes Rock an apology. He apologized to everyone else, but not Rock. While Rock’s comments were insensitive, they did not warrant the violence that Smith visited upon him.
4. Smith will need to double down on his messaging of honoring and protecting you family and how one does that appropriately. I suspect he was emotionally over the top or near it BEFORE Rock made the comments he did. That action seems out of character for Smith. So he will need to return to his own mission and message often and effectively to dilute this experience in the public’s mind.
5. I think that corrupt despots and even corrupt leaders that aren’t quite despotic are a real problem in the world today and I would dearly like to see this be the decade of cleanup.
6. Hang in there Ukraine. We haven’t forgotten what you are going through.
I hope you found something to apply to your business in this post. Let me know either way.
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