Last week, news broke that Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a love child with a member of his household staff more than a decade ago. Instantly, the Terminator and Governator drew worldwide scorn as the Inseminator.
Although Arnold isn’t the first high profile, internationally recognized personality to be unfaithful, he follows a long list of politicians who have cheated on their wives, such as President Clinton, former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, and former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer.
From a branding perspective, do actions we take in our personal lives have the ability to affect our business? Do we hold certain people, like celebrities and politicians, to a different standard than we would a colleague, a neighbor, or a friend? Is it permissible to turn a blind eye to one’s bad behavior because they are a significant revenue source or have industry influence?
Personally, I believe the issue boils down to that of commitment, which in business we refer to as a contract. If we can’t keep a commitment to those closest to us, like a spouse, how can we be trusted to keep a commitment to anyone else, including a client, prospect, or referral source?
I’m interested in your perspective. How do you think a sexual exploit affects one’s personal brand, if at all?
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Jonathan, I agree with your post. I also mostly agree with Heather. However, I hold that higher standard to everyone, and if they seem to fall short, I realize I can’t trust their judgment and act accordingly (i.e. I don’t place myself in a situation with them where I would be “guilty by association” – referring to another of Jonathan’s excellent posts).
We were just talking about this in the office. As an actor, I am less invested in the character of the person in question. They have to go far over the line to offend me for me to stop contributing to their movies, etc.
If I am hiring someone to do work for me, or voting for someone to govern my state, I say that personal behavior does lend itself to predicting future behavior.
Basically, if the person in question is willing to lie and screw over the person who is supposedly their best friend and confidant, what’s he or she going to do when faced with tough choices in the board room, or in the Oval Office?