A platform is not a pedestal

A grandpa asks his newly graduated grandchild: “So what will you do for a living now that you earned your bachelor’s degree?”

The grandchild says: “I’m a model during the week, a weekend DJ, and a LinkedIn and Instagram influencer.”

Grandpa thought for a moment, turned serious, and tried to encourage the grandchild: “I remember when I just graduated, I was also unemployed son, be patient.”

The grandfather does not know that young people monetize their presence and influence. Many influencers make more money endorsing products or selling stuff than full-time employees or executives working in big business corporations and organizations. They get free stuff they can post in their digital spaces, invited to product launching and selling events because they have fame and tons of followers. This is why many young (and not so young) also want to achieve fame and influence. They think constant exposure to their photos and embellishment of their CVs would help them achieve this.

Perhaps you are in a leadership position, and you may be wondering:

How can I build up my following on my social?

How can I grow my platform faster?

How can I be acknowledged and recognized for the work I have been doing?

When am I going to be put in the spotlight?

Should I start a podcast? A vlog? Should I have my own YouTube and TikTok channel?

And then the question I am anticipating would come up: “Sir Francis, you have a great following on social media, so how did you build this up in your younger days?” Honestly? When I was a lot younger (which may have been many years ago in a galaxy far, far away...), the only platform I knew was made of wood with a raised surface on which I would stand to give my speeches. The other “platform” I knew pertained to shoes that lovely women wear. And I heard they are making a comeback these days.

I never thought about “platforms” because I only cared about doing my work well and presenting usable and pertinent ideas that could help my audience. No gimmicks, no self-proclaimed guruship, no embellishment on my resume. I respected the people who invited me as intelligent people who have vetted me and found me usable to their liking. Yes, I was leading, making mistakes, and learning from them, and I was not obsessed with building a “following.” Before marketing guru, Seth Godin emphasized, “word of mouth” spread, and one client led to another. And when technology and social media came, the “following” grew organically (not boosted). Today I still do the same, concentrating on delivering works of excellence. Determined to share workable and pertinent content that can improve people’s lives, businesses thrive. And this has not changed.

My advice to the young (and the not-so-young). Do not be focused on growing your platform. Concentrate on growing your competence and character because whatever you do; should not be about you but those who would put their trust in you and thus “follow” you. Fame as a pursuit can be a hazardous goal.

One warning: Sometimes, your platform can grow fast, but you need to know that a platform is not the same as a pedestal. Success can easily get into the head of the famous, you need skills to be able to handle success. Success and influence can get weird fast, and with it come intense and new pressures you have never faced before, and this can inflate the ego. Pretty soon, everything you do is about you, and you lose your mission. So you and I should never allow our platform to outgrow our character. Being famous and not being faithful is a recipe for disaster.

What to do in the meantime? It is what people have been doing that has allowed them to attain sustainable success. They are still working on their character and competence and are obsessed with what they can do to help and bless others. They are working hard on these rather than building fame and growing their platform. And now they have earned the right to be heard.

(The next Level Up Leadership 2.0 Master Class Online will happen this Sept. 27-29. For inquiries and reservations, contact April at +63928-559-1798 or and for more information, visit www.levelupleadership.ph)