Is Lady GaGa a sound role model for leadership?
I’ve never been a huge fan of Lady GaGa or her music. That was until I saw the interview with her on Australian TV last week with Tracey Grimshaw.
I sat there fascinated as Lady GaGa, dressed in her outrageous style of clothing, discussed issues such as bullying, self-identity, striving to be successful and overcoming challenges. Here she was, at the age of 24, one of the biggest brands in the world and rates in Forbes magazine as the fourth most influential woman in the world. Impressive.
What impressed me about GaGa is she is very considered in her responses to questions and stated that she will not do anything to compromise her fans and her success. What also impressed me is how connected and how personable she is with her fans. She truly values her fans. She calls herself Mother Monster and her fans her little monsters.
Lady GaGa, when you strip away the costume, is leadership at its best. Regardless of what you may think of her, this woman had a goal, knew what she stood for and was conscious of her values at a young age and was true to herself. Despite the fact she was bullied and violated for being who she was, she come out the other side laughing. Not that she said that within the interview I saw, which I thought was big of her. I may have been tempted to get a snide remark in there if I had experienced what she had. Another testament to the strength of Lady GaGa.
Here is a list of some of the things I believe Lady GaGa does and what leaders can learn from her.
- Connects and is real with her fans
- Shares her life’s journey – good and bad
- Always gives 100% in her performances
- Has developed her style, knows what she stands for, what she doesn’t and lives true to her values
- Is innovative and creative
- Listens to her fans and her market place
- Has captured a market and has created a tribe
- Is one of the best marketing machines we have seen for a long time. She knows her market well and had great dialogue with them. She understand the ‘top of mind’ strategy.
Leaders can learn alot from Lady GaGa.
Lady Gaga has a famous saying “I’ve always been famous. You just didn’t know it until now”. There is a woman with vision. I'll go as far to say Lady GaGa is indeed a sound role model for leadership and is teaching her young fans some great lessons.