What do Seth Godin, Michael Crichton and Emma Grede have in common?
Seth is a writer and a marketing expert who inspires others to live better lives; Michael Crichton is the father of numerous blockbusters among them Jurassic Park, Congo, Sphere and others; Emma Grede is a business woman who has made millions of dollars in the fashion industry by connecting influencers with the fashion brands, as well as creating her own wearable designs.
Michael, Seth and Emma are all incredibly successful people with a high public visibility, much of it by their own choosing.
Actually, when Michael Crichton wrote his first blockbuster his ambition was to move to Hollywood a.s.a.p. instead of retreating to a quite little town where he could protect his privacy (the opposite of John Grisham, for example).
But despite, or rather because of their high public visibility they all remain careful about how much they reveal when faced with sensitive and personal questions.
These type of questions might seem harmless on the surface but they have the power to reveal vulnerabilities. Furthermore, these type of questions are often unnecessary and contribute nothing to being a professional.
Let’s look at the scenarios.
When Charlie Rose interviewed Michael Crichton (1942-2008) in one of the numerous appearances with the famous writer, they were discussing global warming.
Toward the end of the interview though, Charlie asked: “What are your biggest regrets?”
Michael paused.
Within that pause we as an observer, not to mention Charlie, were expecting to hear something deeply personal about Michael. But with a surprise and almost a relief (not Charlie’s), Michael stayed within the discussion and linked his ‘regrets’ to the topic of the global warming. What do his personal regrets have to do with the global warming, anyway?
He acted as a professional, and Charlie couldn’t deny it if he tried.
When Rochelle Humes in her first YouTube interview asked Emma Grede whether she ever got intimated by being the only woman in the board room, Emma also paused. Emma Grede has likely been in many male dominated meetings before that interview, and the odds of that happening again in the future are 99.9%. Apropos, the question of why more women aren’t sitting in the board rooms is complex, but this one was pertinent only to Emma.
She focused by answering on why she belonged in that board room as much as any other person sitting in there, instead on her own vulnerabilities or the deficiencies of the system.
What exactly would she have gained by going into the direction that the interviewer was leading her to? Praise, empathy from other women, more business opportunities? No.
Instead of staying relevant to other women in her discomfort or negative experiences, she chose to stay relevant by acting like a pro.
Emma acted as a professional, and Rochelle couldn’t deny it if she tried.
Last, when Marie Forleo asked Seth Godin about authenticity and a personal question about his ‘morning routine’, he answered the questions considering the context while never revealing any personal details.
How did he do that? By affirming the importance of a morning routine as habits that you “don’t have to negotiate every day”, but would not reveal his own morning routine. What does his morning routine have to do with his professionalism, anyway?
Seth always acts a professional, and he makes a case out of it by stressing the importance of consistency, and not authenticity.
What can we learn from Seth, Michael and Emma?
All three demonstrate that when faced with personal questions in a business setting, we should follow the Three Principles:
- CONTEXT: Reply within the context and the topic that you’re in.
- CONSISTENCY: Stay consistent in all of your business interactions.
- CONSEQUENCES: Think about the long-term game. The consequences of revealing personal information can be risky, unknown and unnecessary. Furthermore, they have nothing to do with you acting like a pro.
When was the last time you were faced with a personal question? How did you react, what do you wish you would have done differently?
Sources:
Michael Crichton in Charlie Rose (2007), YouTube.
Emma Grede with Rochelle Humes in ‘Ladies Who Launch’ (2024), You Tube.
Seth Godin on Marie Forleo Podcast (2024), YouTube.
Image:
Alamy, 2024. Emma Grede speaking at the 2024 Forbes Power Women’s Summit.