Strength of character matters..

Imagine the greatest day in your career being the worst night of your life.

This was a masterful tweet by my friend John Moore @MoorintheAM. It sums up the incredible fall from grace for actor Will Smith, after his boorish behavior at the Oscars.

It’s about integrity and character. In my opinion both have been called into question with this man.

Integrity and character.

In life.

In your career.

At the end of it all, isn’t that what should matter to you? Don’t you want to know that through thick and thin, you worked hard to cultivate an image you were proud of? One that when you were under pressure you were confident that your true character would shine through. There was no shining moment for Will Smith, it was a selfish, and an embarrassing one which will have long lasting consequences.

Smith has since resigned from the Academy.

This is also a master class in emotional intelligence. (EI) In business it matters for success. Leaders with a high EI understand diversity in the workplace and respond well to challenges. They are self-aware and can self-regulate. They know how their actions and yours affect the people around you. Those who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed decisions, stereotype, or compromise their values.

I will say, Will Smith’s written apology to Chris Rock, the Academy, and viewers was also a master class in crisis communications. His PR team should be proud of this. It ticked off all the boxes: ownership of the behavior, a sincere apology, and a promise to do better.

If Will Smith is truly committed to becoming “ the man he wants to be” as stated in his apology, we will see whether he has the strength of character to follow through with the emotional intelligence work that is necessary.