Good afternoon leaders!
Today I wanted to share with you all some insight into why leaders that have a strong online presence are smarter, better, and faster than you! When many of us think of the words online and social we automatically think of social networks like Facebook and Twitter and different types of media such as pictures, videos, and blogs. In relation to the workplace though, we often think of social networking/media as a tool to enhance the way we do business but more so as a tool that distracts our employees. So often we hear about the benefits of social media in relation to marketing or how it’s allowed for us to exchange knowledge and maintain connections, but in the business world it’s still largely considered a productivity killer. It’s a double edged sword. It can enhance communications but can also be a huge distractor.
For leaders, social networking and social media has been a critical tool for creating new and maintaining past connections. Social networking has also allowed for leaders to have access to more resources than ever before and as a result, leaders have become more profitable, communicative, and efficient.
Through social media and social networking use, leaders have become able to sell more and listen effectively while moving faster and more efficiently.
Here’s why leaders with a strong online presence are faster, smarter, and more profitable than you:
1. THEY SELL MORE:
Due to our increased use of social networking and social media, many of us have come to realize the importance of creating an attractive way to gain followers. As we browse and navigate through copious amounts of profiles and content, our brains recognize trends and patterns we see. As a result, we are able to better measure what will attract someone to your profile and content. Without a catchy title or some nice images, you can start to see what works, and what doesn’t. Using that information, we are able to position ourselves in a way that attracts and intrigues others.
For leaders, this is useful because it’s enhanced our awareness of patterns and behaviours that try to communicate more (passive-aggressive status updates, the use of “…”, exclamation marks, and more.) Leaders are better able to persuade and intrigue others because they’re able to tap into what’s working and what’s not on a more frequent and real-time basis. Consider how when we monitor a social news feed, we are able to make presumptions and judgments based on what we see in real time in relation to who the original poster was, who has commented on it, when it was posted, and why. The same goes for a leader and the sales he/she must make or the problems he/she must solve. If they are better able to recognize and react, then less time is spent discovering and understanding what will ensure a purchase from the buyer.
2. THEY’RE BETTER LISTENERS:
If we look at highly engaged social users, we can see they almost rarely talk about themselves and their page or profile is full of responses to conversations initiated elsewhere. Leaders that are highly engaged social users are better at listening because they’re in-tune with what’s going on around them and the industry.
Those that update their profiles with traditional postings, press releases, and their lunch on Instagram are far from engaging and without surprise have very few followers. Those that engage and connect their followers do so by replying and commenting to relevant conversations frequently. Their updates are far more open-ended and they try as much as possible to start a discussion with each update they post. At the same time, it is very important for conversations and content to stay relevant to the industry or organization, otherwise the leader is just distracted.
In real life it’s much harder to quantify listening and communication skills, but ask yourself.
Are you as engaging and communicative offline as you are online?
If you answered yes, then you attain two of the most important skills in leadership: listening and engaging.
3. THEY’RE FASTER:
Those that have a strong online presence are faster than others because part of their nature is to be the first to report, share, or discuss a topic. Many associate being fast with speed, but we also associate being fast with error. When we hear someone did something fast we’re initially impressed but remain skeptical of the overall quality of the end result. In short, when we think of someone as being “fast” we often tend to presume they cut corners so our expectations are lowered. But on the flipside there’s a benefit to being fast or in the case of a leader, being able to add value. There is value in being able to add to the conversation or to help facilitate during those first critical moments when people seek information and guidance.
A fast leader is advantageous because they’re far more resourceful and responsive in relation to solving a problem, or discovering problems (fail fast/learn as you go.) Leaders that have a strong online social presence are at the fore front of industry related news and share topics as they’re initially reported. This is important because then they can benefit from other leaders and communicators that add their knowledge, thus creating an information hub that grows in real time.
If a leader is able to be resourceful, reactive, and responsive, then they can do a better job of leading others to success. The structure and skills we utilize and develop through our use of social media transfers to key leadership strengths. So, consider the advantages of being social within your organization and let us know if you agree or disagree in the comments below.
