***PR Lessons from Robert Downey, Jr

Robert Downey Jr. is this year’s comeback kid with a starring role in Iron Man. For the last 15 years or so, the only time you’d hear his name was in relation to a drug bust or yet another failed stint at rehab. Bloggers joked that the only costume you’d expect Downey Jr. to wear was the orange jumpsuit from county jail. Now we see him suited up as the intense billionaire genius Tony Stark and basking in his redemption.

Downey Jr. has learned to refer back to his troubled years with a hearty dose of wit and self-deprecating humor. I’m sure that his 4 years of sobriety have helped him move into a place of acceptance on this topic.

OK, so what does this middle aged Brat-Packer have to do with you?

Sometimes things happen in business that we can’t control. Your company may be involved in a sticky legal dispute, you may have shot your mouth off to a reporter without first engaging your brain, or you screwed up big time in some unforeseen way. And God-forbid you tee off a rabid blogger who goes to town on discrediting you publicly.

Either way you slice it, it’s not the most positive attention for your business. So what do you do next?

Damage control starts with you. Here are a few tips just in case you step in some PR doo-doo and need to recover your good name.

1. Own up to it.
No one wants finger pointing or accusations- that will make you look like a whiner. Take the Harry Truman approach and let people know that the buck stops with you. Your ego may need to take one for the team, but in the long run you’ll come out stronger. You want to acknowledge a problem and assure people that a solution is in the works, if not already enacted. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook incurred the wrath of many last year with his inaction and ended up all over the blogosphere because of it. (http://scobleizer.com/2007/12/04/where-the-hell-is-mark-zuckerberg-and-facebook/)

2. Chin Up.
Mary Poppins dishes out some good advice if you think about it. Chin up means you’re saying, “OK, I’m in the midst of a bunch of crap but I’m not going to let it get me down. I still have my dignity.” In this category, look at the spouses of high-profile people embedded in scandal. Name any political wife whose hubby has been caught with his pants down (literally). Save your emotions for the therapist’s couch, but in public stay strong. You can always write a tell-all memoir after the dust settles and make a fortune.

3. Do Something Good to Make Up For ItnOn whatever scale, part of owning up to wrongdoing needs to expressed in action. Maybe you need to send someone a nice card with a heartfelt apology. Or perhaps charity work is in store to regain your good name. Do something publicly to rewrite your story. People will remember your most recent acts so be sure to keep paying it forward with good deeds.

At some point, you’ll be able to look back and realize a big lesson was learned through this. The ups and downs are what make for strong leaders. Remember not to give up if something negative comes your way… ride it out with common sense and humility then keep making forward strides with your newfound wisdom.