My friend Damian Corbet just released a new book, “Social CEO, The: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader.” As he was developing the manuscript, he reached out to ask if I’d write the foreword. After reading his work, the answer was, “absolutely!”
I asked if I could share the foreword with you here….
Not Every Voice Deserves an Audience; But You’re not Just Another Voice
If you’re reading this I’m going to make a series of assumptions in your favor. You either get it or you’re seeking to get it. Whichever way, you’re on the right path.
Being a social CEO takes more than mastering social networks and building a community on social media. It means you believe so much in what we as a community stand for, and where we need to go together, that your dreams, aspirations and voice become ours.
Let’s forget everything we know about social media for a moment. The world really doesn’t need another conversation about social networks. There’s always going to be another Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – and who knows what’s next – which comes and goes with every trend. That’s not the point. We all can now appreciate that social media is forever part of our lives. We all have access to amazing platforms where billions of people are connected to one another.
But that doesn’t mean everyone has a voice worth following. Nor does it mean everyone deserves an audience.
The signal-to-noise ratio has become deafening. I once said that the good thing about social media is that it gave everyone a voice.The unfortunate thing about it is that it gave everyone a voice.
Honestly, the last thing we need is another person on social media just to be on social media – another voice adding to ‘the conversation’. And, certainly, no one needs another ‘thought leader’
or ‘expert’ posting ‘insights’ in the hope of boosting their personal brand, collecting followers and likes as if they were a hard currency or fuelling shallow conversations or digital small talk to give the semblance of engagement and community.
We just don’t.
Whatever your marketing, social media, PR or communications teams tell you, you don’t have to have a social media presence. You don’t have to tweet, post, insta, snap, blog, slack and so on to be present and relevant. You really don’t.
But, that’s not what Damian is talking about when he refers to the idea of being a social CEO.
It’s not just about having a presence on social media or sending branded or corporate approved messages. It’s not just aboutexpressing yourself because you have the platforms to do so.
What many get wrong with social media is that the mere act of being
social contributes to stature. Attention is a precious commodity. We can earn it. We can definitely spend it. But those who listen andlearn and set out to create value can earn more than attention. They can build a meaningful and influential community, where thecommunity represents something greater than any one person.
That’s what Damian is talking about here: leadership in public view.
Technology by itself doesn’t make leaders. Technology only amplifies true leadership.
That must exist within you and it must grow with you as part of a community. Everybody should grow. And, to be honest, that’s what the world needs now more than ever. Genuine, human, value-added leadership.
Whomever your community is made up of, whether it’s your colleagues, employees, customers, supporters or peers, everyone can benefit from meaning, guidance and leadership.
We all need more signal and less noise. We all need beacons. We all need salient and empathetic voices to move us in a common, rewarding direction.
Being a social CEO is simply anextensionof tried and true leadership in the modern social age. Social CEOs use social technologies tolead us in a direction unified by the digital ties that bind us.
That’s the thing about social leadership; true leaders don’t create followers or seek attention – they empower other leaders.
This is your community. This is our community. And community is much more than leading or belonging to something – it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter.
Let’s do this.
About the book:
The Social CEO sets out to educate and inspire senior leaders to embrace the Social Age, teaching them the hows and whys of utilizing social media in order to make them stronger leaders. Social CEOs can effectively encourage engagement from their employees as well as other stakeholders and customers; they’re better able to communicate their organization’s objectives and values, gauge the climate in which they operate and improve their brand image.
Offering contributions from industry-recognized experts in social business, The Social CEO explores the many aspects of leading in the Social Age, such as storytelling, personal branding, managing risk and public relations. With chapters also written by practicing “social CEOs” working across a variety of sectors, from healthcare to sport, the book provides a wealth of insight into how social media can be used to gain a competitive advantage.
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