Accept the ubiquity

Today I spent some time at the Olympic Trials in Eugene. I would challenge anyone to find me a more desirable final-day setting for the United States’ premier track and field event: deep blue skies, a light breeze, 82 degrees on the dial and the perfect pitch of energy streaming from the 21,000 in attendance.

And then there was the boys’ 400-meter race. A preview of the future? Perhaps. A chance for eight “kids” to take spoonfuls from the pressure/excitement adrenaline bowl? Maybe.

But what it really turned into was a chance for a crowd of about 30,000 (throw in closed-circuit TV) to gasp in palpable discomfort when one of the young runners let his heart and soul move more quickly than his legs were able. One moment he was battling for the lead, the next he was face down on the track battling the mixed emotions of will, exposure and embarrassment (with, perhaps, a small dish of pain). Eventually he rose and shuffled across the finish line.

But not before the chatter began.

“How long before we see that on YouTube?” the guy next to me said, catching the attention of a young lady filming the race one row in front of us. “This will be something he’ll never live down.”

And this was just the kind of guy who would be responsible for sending the link to all of his buddies. And so perhaps the young man will live in infamy.

After the initial horror of imagining a life lived with the incessant video reminder of what might be this runner’s most embarrassing public moment, I experienced a short pause. Short, but long enough to squeeze in the following thought (before retuning to my imagination): Approached with the right attitude, the social media outlets that will allow his misstep to live eternally, can prove of great value for the young man because they will teach (read: force) him to live authentically. Given that hiding from video footage would prove rather difficult, he will have little choice but to own the embarrassment and awkwardness and then move on.

In essence, the necessary authenticity will liberate him. And, in the long run, that will prove more valuable than a life spent trying to hide from what happened today. People in general, and those who inhabit the Internet’s social space in particular, crave authenticity. In fact, because of the information inundation, most demand it.

And that’s a lesson for entities large and small, from the personal blogger to the national brand. And you thought this was just a story about a little track and field blunder.

Well, it’s not…although that kind of road rash could keep Bactine in business for a year.

How can you protect and ensure that kind of authenticity — whether it’s self-reflection, corporate messaging or product launch?