Misfired Desire

Let’s face it.  An early “departure” from a coveted position in the White House is a re-branded way of saying you were fired–plain and simple. It broke my heart to see a brilliant, beautiful black woman “fired” in such a way for making a mistake–a dangerous mistake–but a mistake nonetheless.  Personally, I blame those in charge of security and protecting the President’s life more so than America’s Chief-Event-Planner, but they did not ask me.

With an MBA from Harvard and an awe-inspiring career history, the past several months following the infamous White House state dinner debacle must have been beyond embarrassing and disappointing for Desirée Rogers.  As such, I am sure that the end result is not reflective of the tremendous amount of effort and energy she exerted during her time as the Social Secretary for the White House.

Still, the fairytale journey is about to end, as Rogers announced last week that she would step down from the position, effective later this month.  The question is, Why? There is a major issue with the retention of top African-American talent in every competitive industry in this country.  So, I ask, what was the real reason behind her departure?  Sure, we will continue to receive perfectly scripted answers from the White House and Rogers (unless she decides to write a book–hey, I’d buy it!).  I gather President Obama was most disappointed not with her abilities (she is unquestionably talented), but rather her failure to execute in a manner that aligned with the Obama brand.  Yes, I said the Obama B-R-A-N-D.  I believe the ultimate mistake here was Rogers taking her eye off the prize.

As the owner of a brand management firm working with professional athletes, entertainers, and also high-end companies like Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Tiffany & Co, I notice that many people easily make the same mistake.  It is a very thin line, but the line still exists.  People, even those with the best of intentions, get caught up in the glamour of an industry and forget whose star is the one that is supposed to be shining.  In this economy, there is no such thing as job security.

Here are two critical personal branding lessons you can learn from the potentially misplaced, misaligned, and misfired desire of Ms. Desiree Rogers.

-    Lesson Number One:  Remember Who is Number One.
When you are hired, never forget you are being brought aboard to do a job.  Your personal image matters, but your boss’ image always matters more.  No matter how much your boss “appreciates” your talent and supports your dreams, no boss wants to compete with members of his or her staff for attention in the media.  Do I think President Obama was jealous–absolutely not.  But, the President hates to be embarrassed, and rightfully so.  Rogers is being replaced by Julianna Smoot, someone whose name you probably have never heard before.  She has a finance background and is seasoned in the politics of politics.  In other words, she knows how to stay behind the scenes.

The powers-that-be may not notice it immediately.  Yet, the moment your personal branding endeavors give the mere appearance of interference with your ability to do your job, you become an instant target for scrutiny and a scapegoat for a plethora of ailments that may not even be your fault.  Perception is reality.  The truth rarely matters in corporate America or any industry.  Perception is king.  If the perception is that you are more concerned with brand Y-O-U than you are with your boss and your employer, then the reality is you are in trouble.

-    Lesson Number Two: The Bottom Line is Always the Bottom Line
No matter how glamorous “perks” of your job might be, remember that all enterprises exist to earn revenue and accomplish a set of objectives.  If you do not understand the specific goals set by your company for you and also the goals of the company as a whole, you better ask somebody!  Pay

attention.  Look around.  Understand what others are doing and be careful not to get distracted.  It is easy to fall into the trap of spending time on things that look good.  Often times those things fail to yield returns congruent to the amount of time you are spending.  Spend your “visible” time on the things that matter to your employer.

Think about it.  Rogers looked like an exquisite rock-star in Vogue and all of the magazines that pictured her in cover stories over the past year.  We were all beaming with pride to see her featured.  After all it is imperative that we see more images of brilliant black women.  However, the more exposure you have, the more scrutiny you face.  For one, people now know who to blame.  Did she really need to do dozens of magazine interviews that profiled her personal accomplishments?  Did she need to announce the designer of her dress on red-carpet at the White House state dinner like we see celebrities do in Hollywood?  Probably not.  It is very rare that you actually see the person who planned the party.  In retrospect, her time would have been better spent at the door checking IDs instead of on the floor mingling.  The former is far less glamorous and certainly would not have required designer attire.  Perhaps, though, by focusing on the bottom line, she would still have her job.

I do believe that as an African American woman, Desirée Rogers faced a heightened level of scrutiny from the media, from the White House, and from the public.  Such is life.  Excellence is the job description for all African-Americans.  We must learn the strategies for playing the game at the top if we are going to get and stay there.  No one is perfect, and Rogers is still a phenomenal example of substance and style.  Though her tenure was attenuated, I celebrate her accomplishments and all that she will surely do in the future.

Tell me–what do you think led to Rogers departure?  Who is to blame for the White House state dinner security breach?  Would you have done something different?  More importantly, what can professionals learn from this situation?

Reinvention Strategistâ„¢ Marshawn Evans is a former Miss America beauty queen turned Donald Trump Apprentice, turned Georgetown University trained sports & entertainment lawyer who equips the motivated to live without limits.  She is Founder of ME Unlimited, a management consulting and performance strategy firm, and author of the bestselling book, SKIRTS in the Boardroom: A Woman’s Survival Guide to Success in Business & Life.  Subscribe to her FREE empowerment e-newsletter at www.marshawnevans.com.  Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.