And the winner is…

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at this year’s Oscar and created one of the most controversial moments in the history of this award. This slap gate probably gave the current Oscar winner a run for its money. The slap has dominated the public discourse in media, social media, and all other forums and communities around entertainment. Instead of talking about the winners, the films, and the stars, everyone discusses this smack. Most of the audiences described it as unexpected, uncalled for and unacceptable. Will Smith could have registered his displeasure in a more civilised manner without slapping Chris. Hence, the overall public sentiment is with Chris Rock. Most netizens empathise with Chris, applaud his behaviour, and criticise Will for his action. Will Smith won the academy, but Chris Rock won hearts by conducting himself in a dignified, professional way and continuing the show despite being humiliated. It was a moment of biggest personal crisis for him. But he displayed exemplary character in dealing with it. Today’s businesses and leaders deal with a world where reputation is precious. Yet, they are frequently confronted with unexpected, unplanned, and precarious situations that jeopardise their reputations. This could happen at a press event, a product launch, a market visit, a meeting with stakeholders, or by being mired in unassuming social media controversies. This incident can serve as a valuable lesson in managing one’s reputation in such a fragile and precarious situation. Managing your emotions The most crucial lesson to learn from this incident is to manage your emotions in an adverse situation. It is essential to maintain composure and respond calmly during an unplanned attack on one’s reputation in the public domain. Responding vehemently to such an attack can lead to a worsening of the situation. This event is also a reminder for the leaders to not get carried away by their emotions. It can lead to a momentary lapse of judgment and destroy your entire reputation, goodwill, and social standing. While Will Smith was overpowered by his feelings, Chris controlled his emotions and saved Oscar. Own your mistakes and apologies Accepting and owning your mistake is critical. The best course of action is to apologise in public as soon as possible. Nothing is wrong with it. However, unless you make this amend, your omission will continue to embarrass and torment you. Furthermore, you will always be in the public eye, and your every move will be scrutinised. It’s important to note that this is a time-sensitive action. However, it will salvage your reputation and help you recover quickly. For example, will Smith did not apologise to Chris for his action, immediately, and took couples of days, which led to a significant loss of reputation as people on social media and other platforms started posting strong reactions instantly. There are many examples of the brands and leaders who have been blown away by their outburst but have managed to regain it by acting more dignifiedly. Many public spats or controversies on social media have resulted in the significant loss of reputation and imagery in the Indian context. Recently, Bhavesh Aggarwal, the CEO of Ola Electric, was trolled by the netizens for calling the senior media journalists’ petrol media on the criticism of his electric scooters. Likewise, the leaked abusive phone call of Ashneer Grover, founder of BharatPe and leading start-up honcho, with a banker over the allocation of shares in an IPO led to his loss of public image. Neither of the CEOs offered any apologies to the concerned individual or the general public in both incidents. Presumably, this could have been managed well with an apology and rolling out the course correction immediately after the fiasco, subverting the respective egos. It is important to note that the winner in the battle of reputation will always be humble, own his mistakes and swiftly rectify them.