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Director of First Impressions, Encourager In Chief…”Titles” To Aspire Higher in ’25…

December 11, 2024 by Joe Favorito
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“He wasn’t there because his publicist told him to be there, and to be nice. He was there because he wanted to be.”

As we head towards 2025 there are so many hoping for a retooling or a reset on where their path is going, and the world keeps brining us some new titles of note. College Athletics has brought us “General Managers” for high level football and hoops programs…there are now NIL leaders, with the most notable being our friend Woj at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure (great read if you missed it on the why). There are others as well… Chief Innovation Officer, Metaverse Journey Builder, Chief Resilience Officer, Chief Happiness Officer, Chief Purpose Officer…we have written about the title of Chief Storyteller and Director of Gaming, all of which seemed so Wonk-esque in the past, but are now clearly defined roles as time has gone along and business needs change and expand. One which, given the fluid nature of business today, seems still very important, and it came from a story around the passing of the late Stephen Sondheim. per Laura Collins-Hughes’ piece in the New York Times… Encourager In Chief.

The whole piece, and it seems much of Sondheim’s role later in life, was what most sports frankly claim to do…and why ironically sports like MMA and esports have become so popular…they are both aspirational and inspirational. The theory goes…you can be inspired by say Derek Jeter or Wayne Gretzky, but their talent is not something most mere mortals can aspire to be. MMA or some video games…you can be inspired by the best of the best, but you can also train in the same fashion as they do, and while you are less limited by things like size and strength and more driven by strategy, you do have a chance to aspire to be close to a certain skill level. You might not get there but the chance is a bit more realistic than when it comes to being an NFL quarterback, per se.

Now this is not to say anyone can approach the brilliance of Stephen Sondheim. However what he did…with his notes, with showing up to watch and listen to aspiring storytellers…provided both hope and inspiration, and for those with talent to yet blossom…Lin-Manuel Miranda among them…gave them light on a path on probably some of their darkest days. He also, at least in many of the stories and pieces watched, always showed humility and respect to those around him in his craft, and while I’m sure he wasn’t always bright and shiny and delivered criticism deftly, it seems like he never forgot the path that he took or the opportunities he had.

We often talk in class and when we are around young people about having “the hammer,” and how and when you swing the hammer, and with whom or what it is directed, can have various effects.  

Often times when those in a position of power swing the hammer it can be directed in a destructive way. Later when careers or personal positions in life change, those who are sometimes no longer in possession of the hammer are aghast that certain people or groups no longer get back to them right away, or laugh at their jokes or respond to texts and emails. Often times it is a hard lesson learned, and can be very reflective when those people think back on how and why they are now being treated “differently.” Often times it’s because on the way up, or at the top, they may not have treated those non respondents as people…vs employees or interns. It doesn’t take much to remember those on the journey, and lend some encouragement for the little things they do, because those little things all add up, and it doesn’t seem like Sondheim ever forgot that…he seems to have enjoyed doing those little things that made a big difference.

While there is not much of an outward tie to the business that we may be in…sports…the work Sondheim did in theater actually fits well with all the business of sports is about…working with teams, building consensus, providing a great user experience, and most importantly giving consumers a bit of a release from everyday life. It is high pressure, talent and ego infused, and high risk, high reward for many. It is also a business that has a massive struggle for those largely working their way through, driven by a passion often times more than a dollar sign. Assisting those coming up the ladder is sometimes viewed as an afterthought, when in reality it should be a requirement, and in entertainment and theater, Stephen Sondheim set a lesson for leadership that all should remember. He built his own winning culture by personally delivering the message, and understood the value that it would bring.

While aspiring to be “Encourager In Chief” is incredibly important, I also found on my Facebook timeline another key title from a few years ago. “Director of First Impressions.” I don’t remember exactly where I saw it but it also spoke to aspiring to be higher, and reminding us that the first impression is a lasting one, especially in a world where we are still closed off a bit and behind a screen more than we choose. So for those who aren’t yet at the “Chief” level, keep the “First Impressions” in mind as well. They too go a long way by doing little things in the opinion forming, and the narrative telling, journey we are all on.

Thanks for the encouraging reminder Mr. Sondheim. Little things mean a great deal. Titles also aren’t that formal sometimes…they can be reflective of who you are and what you do…business cards not needed.

Category: Business, College Basketball, College Football, Crisis Management, Gaming, Jobs, lifestyle, Mixed Martial Arts, MLB, NBA Teams, NCAA, Olympics, Past Posts, SI.comTag: Adrian Wojnarowski, Andrew Luck, Lin Manuel Maranda, NCAA, St. Bonaventure University, Stanford, Stephen Sondheim

About Joe Favorito

Previous Post:Disruption and Innovation In Media, With A Little Rowing Mixed in…Three Good December Listens…
Next Post:Playing The Cards…Tis The Season…But They Are In Season Always…

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Joe has over 35 years of strategic communications / marketing, business development and public relations expertise in sports, entertainment, brand building, media training, television, athletic administration and business. He is a producer of award winning and cutting edge programs designed to increase ROI and minimize cost.

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CATEGORIES

  • Ambush Marketing
  • Boston Globe
  • Boxing
  • Business
  • CBS
  • Cinema
  • College Baseball
  • College Basketball
  • College Football
  • Crisis Management
  • Current Events
  • Darren Rovell
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  • FIFA
  • Fox
  • Fox Sports.com
  • Gaming
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  • Indy Car
  • Jobs
  • Lacrosse
  • lifestyle
  • Miami Herald
  • Minor League Baseball
  • Minor League Hockey
  • Mixed Martial Arts
  • MLB
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  • Most Recent Posts
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  • NBDL
  • NCAA
  • New York Post
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  • news
  • NFL
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  • PBR
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  • SI.com
  • sport
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  • Uncategorized
  • Washington Post
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TAGS

Adam Silver cause marketing CBS Sports Columbia Columbia University CoSIDA Dana White David Stern Don Garber ESPN Esports FIFA Fordham University Fox Sports Gaming LeBron James Madison Square Garden March Madness Mets MiLB MLB MLS MMA NASCAR NBA NBC Sports NCAA New York Jets New York Mets New York Yankees NFL NHL NWSL Olympics PBR Prudential Center Roger Goodell Super Bowl Ted Leonsis twitter UFC USOC USTA WNBA World Cup

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JOE FAVORITO
joefavorito1@yahoo.com

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