Dispelling the American Hero Myth:
Second Fiddle from Legends to Divas
Batman is only Batman because Robin makes him so- the fact is, the second fiddle is most of the time technically better and cedes power to number one. It is a rare leading man or woman who can step outside of the myth and own this publicly.
The excellence of the second fiddle and lack of respect and recognition long overdue, must now be made. In Scotty Pippen’s comment to Stacey King this spring speaking out on former fellow teammate Michael Jordan, he is dispelling the myth which even Jordan has been caught up in of singular greatness vs. Leadership being granted by the supporting collaborative team.
(https://open.spotify.com/episode/63ewccFSvzNjMEA3A6nBbw) (https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/30/sport/scottie-pippen-michael- jordan-horrible-player-spt-intl/index.html).
We all participate in myth making and we seem to allow room for only one at the top:
Yoyo Ma, Lance Armstrong, Michael Jordan, Apple’s Steve Jobs. Our imagination is limited and our ability to think broadly and generously is not cultivated. Our need for heroes and meaning cause a craving which is played out in society, and for those who are sudden recipients of adoration which comes with fame, a destabilization occurs which requires constant grounding to maintain identity.
When superstars are elevated to household names, their talents have been exploited for the purpose of profit and we have become part of the mythmaking in their elevation. Sometimes they fall from the pedestal as in Tiger Woods’ personal life making headline news – never having sought the role of “perfect human” along with professional title of Athlete, Politician, Lead Singer, or Business mogul.
As a mezzo soprano, the lower female voice, I have been a professional second in the classical music world, and though I knew inherently what the role was (Scotty Pippen says that MJ was just playing his role). Pippen’s frustration is not in the role playing, it is in the characterization of the roles themselves and lack of acknowledgement of the support system which made the leading character’s part possible to begin with.
Some superstars have a rare quality of humility- watch pianist Lang Lang accept applause for instance, and you may see the artist ignore the audience and shake hands with all the musicians in the orchestra near to him. When I met Bonnie Raitt after her concert (not mine) I was struck how the entire conversation was her fascination with my singing opera, not her Grammy winning performance.
Bruce Springsteen acknowledges in the 2013 film “20 Feet from Stardom” that a mindset accompanies the individual who will stand on the large stage with the headliners and make music from the back up singer’s mic, while the film lays plain that these musicians are as talented – if not moreso than the front men “
Leaders are in a lonely place- the light shines on their face. It is human nature to accept credit and deflect responsibility for errors. It is also human nature to fail to give credit to those who may in fact be better than the front runner but serving the collaborative role in the supporting cast.
We all love good data to back up our point, I learned through a published study on string quartets that the role of the first is not taken and sometimes not earned, but given by the second fiddle. (Murninghan, J.K., & Conlon, D.E. (1991). The Dynamics of Intense Work Groups: A Study of British String Quartets. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36, 165).
Society is slowly moving in the direction of acknowledging the need for equity in power, dispelling the myth of the superhero lone leader. The workforce is demanding listening leaders, perceptive leaders and team players going forward. Coercive control, passive aggression and both covert / overt dominance are not in alignment with the movement toward non-dominant leadership and equity at work. Though usually a century or so behind, even opera is catching up with collaborative casts such as in “Omar” for which Rhiannon Gidden and Michael Abel won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Music.
I get Scott Pippen, a large statement for one who has lived both in Wilmington and Chapel Hill, NC where MJ is religion. He is asserting his rightful legacy as a player who was indeed perhaps even more talented in his ability to be technically and collaboratively without par, while strong enough in his own leadership to support the one in the spotlight.
Kathryn Findlen draws on her background as a mezzo soprano in classical music performance to consult in the field of business leadership and interpersonal communication for teams and organizations. She is a graduate of Oxford University’s Saïd School of business where she researched the role of the Creative Mindset in Leadership.
