Why The Rock trumps politicians for leadership

Celebrities can have huge influence and reach enormous audiences. That’s why Kamala Harris was happy to recently gain the endorsement of musician Taylor Swift.

Some Hollywood stars and musicians command so much media attention and such massive fan bases that they can appear more powerful than traditional politicians.

And these perceptions of influence may also translate into actual impact. Some celebrities - such as Bob Geldof and Princess Diana - have used their fame to push for change.

Others endorse politicians or successfully run for office themselves, like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan.

However, celebrities who pivot to politics may find it hard to trade on their existing notoriety. Few are well known beyond their fan base and may people expect them to lack the gravitas of world leaders.

However, the results of our recent exploratory study conducted in the UK shows that at least one celebrity stands out. Dwayne "The Rock Johnson" has achieved public recognition, leadership, and trust ratings as high as the best-known politicians.

Would voters prefer The Rock to Donald Trump?

Indeed, we found that The Rock’s recognition was on par with the Nobel prize-winning, two-term US president Barack Obama. He was also considered more trustworthy than many politicians.

We invited 251 participants to evaluate the faces of 40 seasoned politicians and celebrities to assess their leadership potential and perceived personality traits.

Only six of the faces had close to universal recognition. Former US presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump both scored 90 per cent or above. So did former UK prime minister Boris Johnson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Meanwhile current US president Joe Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin were each recognised by 80 per cent.

The Rock was also judged to be more considerate, competent, credible, intelligent, and trustworthy than most politicians.

When asked to indicate how strongly participants felt about each figure’s leadership potential, the results were surprising. Biden scored 64 per cent, higher than Putin who scored 56 per cent, and Trump and Johnson who each received scores of just 42 per cent.

A much larger percentage - 72 per cent - rated The Rock as a strong leader. That was bettered only by Obama’s score of 87 per cent.

Why do people think The Rock would make a good leader?

In our statistical models, two key personality traits predicted The Rock’s perceived potential as a national leader - competency and credibility.

The Rock’s fame, stemming from his wrestling career persona, television presence, and Hollywood stardom, seem to demonstrate the impact of a well-maintained media image.

His expertise in wrestling’s “kayfabe” style of performance (a dramatic wrestling style that is presented as genuine) has greatly boosted his public persona as an authentic “nice guy”.

This early experience, and a strong screen presence, is likely to have contributed to leadership scores similar to Obama. It seems that The Rock’s heavily cultivated media personality has translated into perceptions of effective leadership.

This idea connects with the theory of mediated authenticity, which suggests that positive perceptions arise when audiences view media figures in a favourable light.

The Rock’s wrestling persona allowed him to build a connection with his fans and he seems to have developed this further with his Hollywood roles.

What can Trump and Harris learn from The Rock?

Politicians must also connect with the public. Boris Johnson, for example, did well in the 2019 UK election because he knew how to connect and leveraged this ability to his advantage.

However, leaders also need to be seen as knowledgeable and trustworthy to make an enduring positive difference.

Some theorists of power argue that social influence derives from being well-liked, not just being famous. Of course, The Rock is famous for his nice guy image, along with his movie catalogue and perpetually perfect physique. His perceived leadership potential could come from being both popular and seen as a good role model.

The Rock’s potential has been spotted by political parties. In 2023 he revealed that he had been approached by multiple political parties about the possibility of running for office.

The last few years has seen the rise of numerous political leaders around the world, who have been labelled with the term “populist”.

Is it possible to be a 'nice' populist politician?

Leading figures on this list include Trump, India’s prime minister Narendra Modi, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and Boris Johnson. However, these leaders tend not to be highly trusted.

The erosion of trust in politicians and political systems is a significant issue that can lead to decreased engagement with the democratic process. This ultimately results in a civic structure that fails to represent the people it is meant to serve.

The US presidential election is now just weeks away and virtually tied, with a number of swing states hanging in the balance.

Political strategists for both of the major parties must confront a key question: how much trust does each candidate have from the public?

It could be a key factor in determining who heads to the White House - the former president or the incumbent vice president.

Like it or not, The Rock’s wrestling persona relied on building a genuine connection with fans through his kayfabe-style performance, and his friendly image.

Carefully cultivating this has given him enduring popularity and, as an unintended consequence of that performance, leadership appeal on the national stage.

Our research suggests that when you are perceived as being a genuinely nice leader, trust will follow. That is something that more politicians clearly need to understand.

This article is adapted from a piece originally published by The Conversation.

Further reading:

How smiling can help leaders

The seven key competencies for collaborative leadership

How should managers lead in a crisis

What motivates people to become a leader?

Nick Lee is Professor of Marketing and Assistant Dean for Research Culture and Environment. He is also the Co-Director of the Sales Excellence Hub and was also part of the All Party Parliamentary Group inquiry into professional sales in 2019.

He teaches Sales Excellence on the Executive MBA, Global Online MBA and Global Online MBA (London).

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