Bosses are Celebrities

Bosses as Celebrities

I am trying to put down just some random thoughts that came through my mind in the last few days. The intent is not to belittle or disregard anyone in the process. I am using some examples from our mythology only for highlighting the point that I want to convey. I must also state that I am not an atheist.

The current news on justification of celebrities' acts has made me think about how bosses also behave like celebrities. To understand this better, let me make an attempt to define celebrities. Wikipedia, the mother of all knowledge repositories, defines a celebrity as a person who has a prominent profile and commands some degree of public fascination and influence in day to day media. The term is often synonymous with wealth, commonly denoted as a person with fame and fortune, implied with great popular appeal, prominence in a particular field, and easily recognized by the general public.

Celebrity Status Is Not Permanent

Celebrity status for anyone is not permanent. We have seen several celebrities in our lifetime who have nothing to say once their utility as a celebrity is over. There have been several stars of yesteryear who have lived the life of the unknown. Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin, once a huge celebrity, faced drug related legal battles. Celebrities like Lance Armstrong lost many supporters when they had to face drug trials. It is also possible that many of them regain their celebrity status.

Gods like Rama and Krishna are also celebrities of their time. Consider the fact that there are temples for M G Ramachandran, an all time celebrity in Tamil Nadu. If you carefully go through the Puranas and other religious scriptures that narrate their lives, it is not difficult to find how their wrong acts have been justified by building stories and justification around them.

Rama and Krishna as Examples

A classic criticism of Rama's life is his act of mistrust of his wife. He did that twice. Once after winning the war, when he asked Sita to testify by entering fire. The second time, he decided to send her into exile based on a comment from a washerman. From the context of our life today, these acts may even deserve attention under the Domestic Violence Act. But religion and the authors of religious books have justified these acts by creating stories and philosophical justification for Rama's decisions. The debate can continue between people who are religious and those who are rationalists. I am not against Rama and Krishna.

Krishna's acts of stealing have always been justified as acts of love. Krishna's acts, read mischievous acts, during the war are justified by various means in the Mahabharata. We today know this in simpler terms as everything is fair in war.

The Boss as Celebrity

Let us now look at bosses. They are celebrities in their own way. Most of us would have read this somewhere or other. I definitely do not know the source of this.

When I take a long time to finish, I am slow.
When my boss takes a long time, he is thorough.

When I don't do it, I am lazy.
When my boss does not do it, he is busy.

When I do something without being told, I am trying to be smart.
When my boss does the same, he takes the initiative.

When I please my boss, I am apple polishing.
When my boss pleases his boss, he is cooperating.

When I make a mistake, I am an idiot.
When my boss makes a mistake, he's only human.

When I am out of the office, I am wandering around.
When my boss is out of the office, he's on business.

When I take a day off sick, I am always sick.
When my boss takes a day off sick, he must be very ill.

When I apply for leave, I must be going for an interview.
When my boss applies for leave, it's because he's overworked.

When I do good, my boss never remembers.
When I do wrong, he never forgets.

Proximity to Power

We must also remember that these justifications work as long as the boss is boss. Hence, within the lifetime of an organisation, the boss is a celebrity. Whether we like it or not, we all clamour to have an association with him, as mere proximity gives pleasure and a sense of achievement. The power of proximity to a boss is so high that its effect is noticeable in almost every staff member who is closest to the boss on a routine basis.

Will This Ever Change

Will we ever come out of the celebrity worship stage? I am not sure. Humankind has always followed hero worship from the days it became a social animal. The most worshipped god in the pre-Vedic period was Lord Indra, who represents kings. Kings in early society were typically the most powerful person. We again learnt it from our forefathers. If you notice a group of monkeys, the strongest and biggest monkey leads the group.

At the same time, I also see people at large becoming more aware and outspoken. This may not reduce celebrity worship, but celebrities may not get the same response if they do not come up to the expectations of people.