Is ‘Rockstar’ the New ‘Guru’? And, if so, is it Really a Bad Thing?
I recently saw a post on Twitter that caught me off guard.
It asked, “What’s with the rise of the use of the word ROCKSTAR on LinkedIn. … Is rockstar the new guru?”
While the post in and of itself seemed harmless, most of the replies were not:
“I tend to ignore all the self-described gurus & rockstars, etc. I figure that resorting to such embellishments is covering for some lack ... and I move on.”
“It's an excellently useful self-identification technique for spotting arseholes.”
“Rockstar is the new guru, ninja is the new rockstar. They all SUCK!”
“Makes me shudder!”
“All that shit makes me cringe.”
“I hope not, I might be forced to ban it from my timeline.”
And a reply from the original poster: “I might set a rule that I don’t connect with anyone who uses that word in their profile.”
Excuse me, but WTF??
So. Much. Judgement.
So little time …
Want to know what makes ME cringe? The sheer amount of negativity coming from folks who don’t know a damn thing about me or anyone else who happens to use the title … or any other triggering title (i.e., ninja, diva, guru), for that matter.
Remember the ol’ “Never judge a book by its cover” saying? Guess what they’re doing.
A quick visit to each of their Twitter profiles revealed that – for the most part – they, themselves, are nowhere near rockstar status, looking at their bios, feeds, and followings.
So, why the arrogance? Why the negativity? Are they jealous because they could never pull off a term like that? Who knows …
Some of us have actually worked our assess off to earn the title. Some of us actually have a love for rock music. Is it so wrong to have that reflected in your title?
Sure, I understand that some words may come with their own set of baggage … but only if you let them.
Here's my take:
I choose to work with positive, open-minded people who are capable of looking beyond a title to see if I’m the right fit for them.
I choose to work with people who know – or who are open to learning – about my background and accomplishments and how I can be of benefit to them.
I choose to work with people who will not judge me for my taste in music, my physical appearance … or the title I use.
Fortunately, as a freelancer, I have the right to choose.
That’s one of the benefits of working for yourself. That’s one of the reasons I chose this career path. And that’s why I will continue to rock the hell out of it.
If you don’t like the term, that’s fine. You’re obviously not my target audience.
The title may indeed repel some people. But conversely, it can sure as hell attract the right ones.
I know it certainly has for me.
Fellow rockstars, remember this:
There are judgmental folks everywhere. And if a single word in a title is going to trigger someone THAT much, think to yourself, do you really want to work with them anyway?
I know I sure don’t.
Fortunately, there's plenty of work out there and plenty of good people to work with. You just have to find them.
Need help? Let me know.
