How authentic should the CEO be on Facebook?

Here’s an interesting story for a Friday afternoon.


After Chip Conley, CEO of Joie de Vivre, a chain of boutique hotels in California, attended the Burning Man festival, some photos of him shirtless (and in one, wearing a tutu) appeared on Facebook. His blog post about the contretemps that followed is a great study in authenticity.

To me, the photos show the real Chip, and he is proud to be that guy. Most CEOs would not be too comfortable with such candid photos on Facebook, but he is. What do you think?

Comments

[twitter.com/PaulavoieAtDell]

I think it's awesome. It works well with what his store is all about "Joie de Vivre".
He seems to get it for sure :)

[Donna Papacosta]

Exactly! His attitude is compatible with the hotel brand. It ain't the Howard Johnson.

[Augie Ray]

The issue is no longer his shirtless pictures. Given Conley's reaction to his employees and choice to air the internal issues publicly, I think he has done damage to his company. He was transparent, but I think in the end he was inauthentic to his own ideals about the value of his employees' opinions.

If interested, my blog post on this situation: http://www.experiencetheblog.com/2009/11/chip-conley-and-authenticity-vs.html

[Donna Papacosta]

Augie, thanks for adding your opinion to this discussion. It's interesting that this whole affair has so many layers.

[32gb ssd drive]

Well, his attitude definitely matches what his store is all about. What say Donna?