The Legacy Strategy and Why Kindness is the Ultimate Power Move
You are absolutely right to be skeptical of celebrity culture. I'm not a celebrity person either. I've never even been to a real concert—I have zero interest in the spectacle.
My focus is on the real, the tangible, the strategic. I'm interested in what builds empires, what forges real connection, and what separates a fleeting trend from a lasting legacy.
So when a moment from that world cuts through the noise, I pay attention. Not because of who is speaking, but because of the powerful, raw strategy being revealed.
A recent, unfiltered moment with Lady Gaga and Donatella Versace did just that. It wasn't a PR-prepped soundbite. It was a perfect case study in a form of power that most of the business world is too shortsighted to understand.
Here’s the masterclass in building a legacy, disguised as a thank you.
The Flaw in Transactional Power
In the arenas of business and tech, we’re taught that power is a game of transactions. It’s sharp elbows, ruthless negotiation, and a relentless focus on "what have you done for me lately?"
This is the dominant model of "mentorship" we often see. It's a calculated exchange of advice for access, favors for future considerations. It thrives when both parties are "winning," when the mentee is the hot new thing.
But what happens when that person hits a down cycle? When they fail publicly? When they are, to use Gaga's raw term, "not cool"?
The transactional "mentors" vanish. Their support was conditional, tied to the mentee's immediate value. This isn't mentorship; it's just high-stakes networking. And it builds alliances as fragile as the next quarter's results.
The Legacy Strategy A Lesson from Donatella
At an event, Lady Gaga singled out Donatella Versace. I expected a story about fashion or design. What she shared was a revelation about character.
"During my career I've had many ups and downs," Gaga shared. "And... so many people around me changed... weren't there for me when I wasn't cool. Donatella was always there. Always. In fact, Donatella, I think when I was hurting, you made things even more beautiful."
This is the entire strategy.
Donatella's support wasn't just consistent; it intensified when Gaga was "hurting." This is not mere niceness. It is a profound, "old money" way of thinking that is completely alien to the "new money" transactional hustle. It's the understanding that loyalty is forged in fire, not in the spotlight.
By showing up with unwavering support during someone's most vulnerable moments, you create a bond that transcends professional obligation. You forge a debt of loyalty that is repaid not in dollars, but in fierce, unshakeable advocacy. Lady Gaga, one of the most powerful cultural forces on the planet, just publicly declared her loyalty to Donatella—not just as a designer, but as a core mentor who shaped her.
The ROI on that kind of loyalty is immeasurable. It's not a short-term gain. It's a legacy.
The WERULE Mandate Strategy with Soul
This story resonates so deeply because it is the core philosophy of WERULE. We believe the future of leadership, especially for a new generation, lies in rejecting these outdated, toxic, transactional models.
The goal is to embrace a more holistic, human-centric approach. Empathy, integrity, and genuine support are not "soft skills"—they are the most critical, hard-edged strategic assets you can possess. They are the non-replicable part of your brand, the ultimate moat.
In your own journey as a founder, a leader, a mentor—resist the pressure to be purely transactional. The moments when you choose to show up for someone "when they aren't cool," when you offer support without an agenda, when you lead with character—those are the moments you are building real, generational power.
It's not just the right thing to do. It’s the smartest.
