Does ethos matter when influencing others?
One of my favourite people on the Planet fell off the pedestal I erected for him: I discovered that Dr Huberman, Stanford Associate Professor and the author of one of the top podcasts in the world, Huberman Lab, is allegedly a serial cheater and has a short temper - according to his girlfriend and a New York Magazine's article from a couple of months ago.
The man who inspired many of the health habits I successfully incorporated in my life including cold showers and natural light first thing in the morning, is not Mr Perfect.
This fact has prompted me to think about reputation, or ethos, and what role it plays when we want to influence others to buy into sustainability.
A Greek philosopher Aristotle said that to influence others you need three elements: logos (a rational argument), pathos (your argument has to elicit emotions in your audience) and, crucially, ethos (you have to be credible). Until now I thought that meant you have to be credible in your field of work (i.e., if you are a sustainability professional and talk about sustainability, you have to demonstrate you know your stuff).
But after the fall from the public grace of Dr Huberman, I realised you also have to be reputable as a human being. Does it matter to the 5.63M (and counting) YouTube subscribers of Andrew Huberman - who follow him for his science-based "protocols" to live a healthier life - if he cheated on his girlfriend with five other women? In theory, it shouldn't. What has that to do with his science work?
In practice, it does. Because we are human and driven by emotions, and trust is built on integrity as well as other elements, the instinctive reaction is not to trust his words anymore. If he lied to his girlfriend, he could be lying about the science he shares. In fact, critics have since come forward to share how his protocols are often based on partial or small studies without scientific significance.
His private life's mistakes (even if they end up being unsubstantiated!) have tainted his working ethos and, as such, his power to influence others.
What does it mean to you?
It means that your credibility and ethos are some of the most important and precious aspects of your work, not just your private life - and must be protected and embodied in everything you do if you want to become influential and trustworthy.
Do you agree?
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