Why I Lost My Bieber Fever

Justin Bieber is a very talented musician. He’s a gifted singer, instrumentalist, dancer and entertainer. With youth, talent and success, he should be admired and respected by all. Instead, he’s doing a spectacular job of squandering the incredible opportunity at his disposal through his narcissistic displays of immaturity.

Artists create not only to indulge their own desire for self-expression, but also to positively impact the world around them. Some perform music to delight audiences and help people celebrate the best of life. Others write provocative novels or enchanting poetry that point out the flaws of humankind and teach us to reconcile our own frailties. Comedians help us laugh while dramatic playwrights make us cry. Ultimately, art in any form should leave the world better off than without it.

When an artist, business leader, politician, author, or inventor reaches a certain level of recognition, that person has a responsibility beyond their art. High achievers serve as role models and are often emulated. In other words, their influence transcends their craft. How they behave in and out of the spotlight can greatly impact thousands around the world.

Aspiring jazz musicians in the 1950s abused heroin because Charlie Parker, the most admired jazz cat of the day, was an addict. Alcohol and cigarette brands famously used celebrities to push their wares as adoring fans followed suit despite the obvious heath risks. In our always-connected world, we’re only a tweet, Facebook post, Instagram photo or TMZ feature away from the most noted — and notorious — luminaries.

However, with great success comes great responsibility. If a person reaches icon-like status, he or she no longer has the luxury of acting like a spoiled brat. In the same way Bieber would never sing out of key or disrespect his fellow musicians by blowing his big finish, he should exhibit the same concern for the impact he’s leaving on millions of fans worldwide, especially kids. Indulging in every temptation, mocking society’s norms, and behaving like an infant shows a total disregard for those who might follow his influence. Instead of using his music as a platform to elevate humanity, he’s used his talent to gain a megaphone to negatively influence others.

Cult leaders and dictators have often used their charisma and talents to captivate and then manipulate others into following negative and divergent paths. Honestly, I don’t think Bieber is nearly that calculating or malicious. I believe he’s so self-consumed and impulsive that he just doesn’t seriously consider the impact he’s leaving outside his music.

My advice to Bieber — and to anyone else who will listen — is to carefully examine the impact you’re leaving on others outside your chosen field. You don’t need to be a celebrity to make a positive difference in the world. Architect that influence purposefully and take personal responsibility for how you’re affecting the world around you. Even the most notorious offenders can reform quickly and start leaving a positive fingerprint. Let’s all make a change for the better, even Justin Bieber. I’d be thrilled to once again catch the fever.

Read More

New Thinking for the New Era of Business

Albert Einstein famously noted, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that we used when we created them.” In our post-COVID world of ...

When an Astronaut Needs a Pen

Ever get stuck on a problem, only to realize you're solving for the wrong thing? That's exactly what happened when the rocket scientists at NASA ...

How Shake Shack Drives Innovation

Do you prefer the crispy mozzarella, tempura watercress, and black garlic mayonnaise cheeseburger or the pumpkin mustard, bacon, cranberries, and sage hot dog? For something ...

Lady Gaga’s Secret to Creativity

Just before she won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, I watched Lady Gaga dazzle the live audience with a pitch perfect performance of ...

Creativity: Does Size Matter?

For some reason, we’ve been taught that for creativity and innovation to count they need to have a magnitude the size of the 1989 San ...

The Lexicon of Creativity

There’s more confusion around the meaning of the word innovation than the chaos at the airline ticket counter after a cancelled flight. Is there a difference between ...

The Brain Science of Becoming More Creative

When we hear stories about iconic leaders like Salesforce.com’s founder Marc Benioff, or widely celebrated virtuosos like Lin-Manuel Miranda for that matter, we immediately think ...

Correct the Overcorrect

When the misguided leaders at Enron, Tyco and Worldcom committed fraud and marred their shareholders with huge losses, the Securities and Exchange Commission rightfully swooped ...

Learning to Color

Fact: Creativity has become the most needed skill in business. It’s gone from a nice-to-have to becoming mission-critical. Fact: Creativity is a learnable skill. All humans have ...