Pope Francis and Pacman: What’s in a rock star?

MANILA, Philippines - What do Pope Francis and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao have in common?

Both are men of passion and power – dynamic, inclusive and engaging – possessing characteristics of what may be considered as a people’s champion.

This is according to master transformation coach Cherry Pua-Africa, the only Filipino thus far accredited to practice an approach called the Fascination Advantage analysis.

“Pope Francis is a people’s champ because he communicates with passion, he connects with emotions. He goes beyond and transcends dogma and connects with the people,” said Africa.

She cited earlier reports about the Pope once personally consoling a rape victim on the phone, and washing the feet of women and a Muslim man, which earned criticisms from some conservative groups.

“You cannot imagine a pope taking selfies with young kids, but how can he connect to them if he doesn’t do it? He knows that it is one way of connecting to the youth and he is using his advantage (as a people’s champ),” she said.

The pontiff, who ends his visit to the Philippines today, is known for his unorthodox methods of bringing the Church closer to the public.

Africa said that having a “people’s champ” as a pope actually serves the Catholic community well.

“It comes at the right time because the Catholic Church had been perceived to be losing its audience and relevance because of its focus on dogmas. People are tuning out and are not listening to the message anymore because it is becoming too traditional and structured. People like exciting things. We have to keep up with the times,” she said.

According to Africa, the Fascination Advantage Assessment is a method that assesses public perception on a person, unlike most personality tests that indicate how one sees the world.

According to the Fascination Advantage Assessment, which was first introduced by author Sally Hogshead, there are seven triggers that make a person more appealing to the public: innovation, passion, power, prestige, trust, mystique, and alert.

A person is then assessed into one of 49 personality archetypes according to his primary and secondary triggers.

Pope Francis is more likely classified as a people’s champion because his dominant advantages are passion and power. But, Africa said, he could also be considered a “rock star” because he is both passionate and innovative.

People with passion are those who connect with emotions; power, those who lead with command; and innovation, those who change the game.

Africa noted that public figures could be assessed based on research as the Fascination Advantage measures “how the world sees you”.

She said that even the dead could be profiled.

She added that the Fascination Advantage assessment could be “very relevant to public figures because a lot of them are like chameleons who change the way they are (to be accepted by the crowd). As a leader, how are you talking to your public? We must remember that at the end of the day, it is not the message (that matters) but the messenger.”

As for Pope Francis, Africa said his personality archetype is working well for him and the Church.

“Pope Francis is seen as being very favorable. If the objective of the Church is to increase market share, the point is to leverage on what Pope Francis delivers,” she said.

“He could rally everybody, use his charm to convert many,” she added.

However, Africa said that the pontiff should watch out for the tendency for “too much form but lack in substance.”

She said that as a people’s champion, Pope Francis could become overly concerned about connecting with emotions and forget the dogmas. “I guess that’s where cardinals and scholars get uncomfortable because they are very conservative.”

She also noted that the Pope, according to his personality archetype, could be “a nightmare for security personnel”.

The pope has been known to shun the use of bullet-proof popemobiles so that he may be able to mingle with the crowd.

Although there is no Fascination profile that is considered better than the rest, Africa notes that there is at least one fascination trigger that is badly needed in the current political state of the country.

“We need to strengthen our trust. Trust means you deliver consistency. If there is corruption, then it is not consistent because there is a break in the system,” she explained.

She noted that President Aquino’s fascination advantages are trust and power.