[By Bruce Hennes]
The way LeBron James announced his return to Cleveland was brilliant.
Yes, the past includes lots of hurt feelings by fans and baggage with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, but LeBron decisively dealt with it all, head-on and eye-to-eye.
Was the announcement scripted and stage-managed? You bet. But anyone can stage-manage an event and woo with words. LeBron did it differently — with a level of honesty, integrity and grace rarely seen in celebrity athletes.
Whether done alone by LeBron or in concert with a team of professional communicators, “The Announcement” (in juxtaposition to “The Decision.”) shows a total understanding of the immense power of narrative archetypes, including that of Hero, Villain, Victim and Vindicator. For four years, LeBron was the Villain, with Clevelanders the Victim. Now, in one deft swoop, LeBron becomes the Vindicator, as well as the Hero. Jesse Singal, from New York Magazine, said LeBron now has “a sympathetic, relatable character arc: He left Cleveland a boy seeking out formative, youthful experiences, and is returning a seasoned man with a newer, more mature set of priorities.”
From all appearances, LeBron is a smart, humble athlete who cares about home and family. And since there is no apparent contradiction between who we think he is — and the words in his Sports Illustrated essay — everything about today’s announcement feels 100% authentic.
Wikipedia defines authenticity as the truthfulness of origins, attributes, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions. That’s the sweet spot for communicators – and the lesson for anyone in need of reputation management.
Public relations and crisis communications specialists are often accused of being spinmeisters. But spinning is lying. Real PR and crisis communications pros know that truth and authenticity go together. That’s the slam dunk.
(For a slightly different take on this subject, here’s a link to a New York Magazine article)