Don’t Put People on Pedestals | 054 | Avoid Harm
Admire but question. Protect the good work.
“Be careful putting people on pedestals. It can significantly diminish our ability to question them when they create or contribute to harm.” – Dr. Al Solano
Why Pedestal-Thinking Is Risky
This lesson didn’t come from theory. It came from my Latina mother.
As a young adult, she warned me not to elevate people just because they’re impressive, whether in their personality, their credentials, or their field.
Her message was simple: The same people we admire can also cause harm.
She had lived it. And that lesson stayed with me. It shaped how I show up in this work.
It’s why I speak up when I see something damaging, especially when the harm undermines the student success and equity work we claim to care about.
It’s also what pushed me to write about racial equity in a way that resonated deeply with practitioners, many of them educators of color, who have grown tired of unproductive approaches.
Admiration vs. Reverence
It’s human to admire thought leaders. There’s nothing wrong with learning from people who have expertise, insight, or influence. But there is a line.
Admiration becomes dangerous when it turns into uncritical reverence.
When someone’s:
status
rhetoric
or credentials
place them above questioning, we lose something essential:
Our ability to think, challenge, and engage honestly.
And that’s when harm goes unchecked.
How This Shows Up on College Campuses
We’ve all seen it. An idea sounds powerful in theory:
compelling language
bold claims
strong branding
But when it hits the ground. It doesn’t land well.
Why?
Because it was introduced:
without context
without adaptation
without regard for institutional realities
without consideration of human impact
And instead of questioning it, people hesitate.
Why?
Because of who said it.
So what happens?
Red flags get ignored
Feedback gets dismissed
Harm gets rationalized as “necessary disruption”
Let me be clear: That’s not equity. That’s dysfunction wrapped in academic branding.
The Cost of Not Speaking Up
When pedestal-thinking takes hold:
Dialogue shuts down
Critical thinking weakens
Good people stay silent
The few gain unchecked influence
And the work suffers. Students suffer because protecting someone’s reputation becomes more important than protecting outcomes.
What True Professional Integrity Looks Like
Healthy teams operate differently.
They:
Ask questions, even of respected voices
Test ideas before scaling them
Adapt strategies to their context
Center the collective good over individual recognition
Respecting someone’s work should never require:
Silencing your instincts
Ignoring your professional judgment
Abandoning your responsibility to protect your campus
A Message to External Providers
I often remind fellow consultants, trainers, coaches, and speakers:
Do No Harm.
That’s the baseline.
But here’s the reality:
Some become so:
sanctimonious
rooted in ego
attached to their own ideas
that they lose the ability to contribute meaningfully.
Instead of improving outcomes, they:
create division
stall progress
and remain unapologetically unproductive
Protect your campuses from these people.
Final Thought
Respect expertise. Learn from others, but never surrender your ability to question, reflect, and act in the best interest of your students and your institution.
The moment someone becomes untouchable, the work becomes unaccountable.
If your institution needs support planning and/or implementing priorities, contact me. I’ll help you be successful.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn.
Onward…
Dr. Al Solano
Founder, Continuous Learning Institute | About
Host, Student Success Podcast
A meaningful test of success is how helpful we are in contributing to our fellow human being’s happiness.
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