I had this great chat with an associate this week. We were talking about the phenomenon of social media gurus – the good, the bad and the just plain ugly.
We’ve both been hands-on with clients for over 20 years now. So the meteoric rise of the guru, thanks to social media, is an interesting and sometimes scary phenomonen for us.
Why?
Because among our supposed gurus are, well, a number of just plain empty suits.
What did I just say? Heresy!
Not really. I’ve rolled up my sleeves and dug into over 100 client situations in my career. I’ve designed and developed products, positioned and marketed those same products and companies – helped to sell them sccessfully, created support infrastructures, connected partnerships and just plain done every aspect of business management there is.
But I digress.
My point is that I have hands on experience with company after compeny. There’s nothing I haven’t seen by now – at least twice. I guide companies to see themselves differently, position and market themselves in new ways and to propel themselves to growth. I also know that my clients are the experts in their businesses – I just help them get out of their own way.
So what’s up with all the gurus who have never actually done the real work?
Gurus who have never run a product line, built a business, launched an offering (other than themselves) or sold to an unhappy customer are an oxymoron, with the emphasis on moron.
How can so many people follow these self-proclaimed gurus and their advice – which is often just plain headed in the wrong direction?
Such is the power of Gravity. We’re all taught that we must emulate those who are popular or powerful or, well, just plain bigger than we are.
Social media makes that an even more dangerous bit of Gravity thinking. Social media is creating gurus who aren’t necesssarily proven experts but instead simply the loudest and most self-promoting on the block.
So before you follow that social media guru off the proverbial cliff – take off the Gravity blinders and ask yourself the all important question…
“How good is my Guru – in the real world?”
