Examining the paradigm shift surrounding the definition of celebrity is a worthwhile observation that lends insight into contemporary culture and societal values. Those we choose to celebrate as key figures suggests a great deal about where our collective heads and values are focused.

While celebrity has traditionally applied to entertainers, sports figures, and later to supermodels, the past two decades have greatly evolved the term and types of figures defined by it.

Reality TV and social media gave rise to the everyday celebrity with a story to tell. The upward mobility of these new celebrity figures was often attributed to entrepreneurial spirit and a growing societal celebration of individualism.

Fast forward to today, and we have entered the latest paradigm shift, where celebrities are now thought leaders, business leaders, and political figures. It may not seem like a trend, but if one explores the current value system that upholds entrepreneurship and individualism as key components, it becomes clear that society has been heading along this trajectory for some time.

Today, the term celebrity is just as easily applied to the likes of business magnates Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos as it is to Hollywood actor Tom Cruise or tennis ace Serena Williams, giving a face to previously faceless entities.

As celebrities, the personalities of these leaders are intrinsically enmeshed within their companies and company ethos, regardless of the fact that personal choices of leaders and the actions of their entities are often very different from each other. And yet, placing importance on the face of leadership over the entities themselves has become so common that the term “CEO worship” has been coined to define it.

From copious venture capitalist funding to overemphasis of leaders as solely responsible for their entities within the media, CEO worship is a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, it lends personality to otherwise stark entities. It also offers a human quality to connect with on a personal level. And it gives an entity far more opportunity for the spotlight to get its brand message out.

However, on the other hand, CEO worship can be reductive and detrimental to both a leader and an institution, whittling a company or country down to the perceived personality of its CEO. From corporations to countries, CEO worship can oversimplify systems and underplay the complexities of multiple factors — some within the control of the leader, some not. 

A quick study of human nature makes it understandable how we may have gotten here. Communication always happens most impactfully when simplified, and people tend to crave accountability. In this light, the face  of leadership becomes a symbolic representation of entire complex institutions, businesses, and even countries.

While no business, institution, movement, or country is perfect, it is even more true that no person is perfect. Placing accountability on the sole shoulders of a leader is unfair, but it is also unavoidable. It is simply a part of the job description, as part of being a leader means taking ownership of a situation, whether or not it is your fault.

So, how does a leader, who is trying to create change and positive progress, overcome hurdles and criticism to stay the course? How does one maintain neutrality when there will inevitably be good and bad things happening at both ends of the spectrum?

From CEOs to politicians, the key is not to buy into one’s portrayal as the sole face of an entity, but rather understand the role public character plays, and the benefits and downsides that come with it. This may seem difficult to do when there is a magnitude of hype surrounding one person, but it is also vital to the lifeline of the entity.

Another key is to shift the face of leadership to the collective whenever possible. As Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum wrote in his book, “Flashes of Thought,” “a great leader creates more great leaders, and does not reduce the institution to a single person.”

We have come to treat leaders as one-dimensional symbols of what we value, which can be problematic as it places emphasis on individualism and rivalry, as opposed to community and participation. As Al-Maktoum referenced, if we are able to shift our focus back to the institution, company, or country itself, we may find ourselves in a more collaborative, cooperative paradigm.

Yet this is not just a task for our leaders. We as a society need to keep in mind that the role leaders play is only a part of the equation. If we are able to keep an eye on the big picture and to understand that with everything there will always be variables, it would be a benefit to all of us in how we perceive and respond to the face of leadership.

• Carla DiBello is a documentarian and founder and CEO of CDB Advisory, a bespoke consulting firm that bridges connections across private sectors throughout the Middle East and North America. Twitter: @CarlaDiBello