Why Your Chief Exec Too Should Be On Social Media
A minute on the internet means 240 million emails; 4 million Google searches; 48000 app downloads 277,000 tweets. The net has gone social in a big way. BRANDfog’s 2013 CEO, Social Media Leadership Survey raised the big question, why are CEOs/CMOs not present on social media channels? You would have guessed it right.Almost 24% of the C-Suite are risk averse. They fear potential negative criticism or feedback and hence avoid it altogether. This is also because many of them do not know how to use it. It is hard to be passionate about driving if you do not know how to drive. According to Hubspot, 82% of consumers are more likely to trust a company whose CEO and leadership team engage on social media. Yet only 1 in 5 CEOs have a social media account.Why should the C-Suite be on social media?The Concept of Leadership Has ChangedLeaders no longer have to be remote figures seen only on television channels or in the pages of business publications. They are real people who people can reach out to. They are like anyone else but they lead cooler lives. They are thinking of new ideas. They also make mistakes. That is a relief, because that is what makes them real. The key skill of a leader is the ability to have conversations in real time. People enjoy seeing leaders who can engage a variety of stakeholders and have the ability to be challenged. That shows people that they are secure enough not to hide behind scripted responses. Leadership today is all about real people having real conversations in real time.Communication Has ChangedLeaders used to communicate through Press Releases that had been crafted by their PR agencies. The leaders just had to lip-sync when they were on camera. Even those films were carefully edited to remove any creases and fumbles.
An overtly edited and scripted film does not generate awe. It is viewed with mistrust. A little fumble, a little flaw also reassures people that the communication is authentic and unscripted. Such direct communication can raise the profile of the corporate brand and communicate the company’s mission and values. It gives a chance to drive deeper engagement with customers as well as employees. Communication today is shorter but more frequent. In a global world, communication will also become more visual. It is quite like learning a new language. One has to practice it for a while before we get it right.The Media Has ChangedEveryone who has a smartphone is a media house. Employees are talking about the brand, the workplace, company policies and everything that was thought to be discussed in hushed tones by a few. Salaries are routinely made known on social media. The line between what is private and what is public has blurred. So instead of staying away it is important to get the right information and data into the open.The leaders may choose not to engage in the conversation but that is not going to stop the conversation. Social media is not a megaphone. Often a crisis or a PR disaster will force the CEO to “issue a statement” to correct perceptions. At such times, being seen as trustworthy is vital.The concept of leadership has changed. The employees, customers, analysts and all other stakeholders are on social media. It is time to bring the C-Suite to the party as well.First written for The Economic Times dt May 6, 2014------------What could disrupt the HR function? Join me on twitter @AbhijitBhaduri
An overtly edited and scripted film does not generate awe. It is viewed with mistrust. A little fumble, a little flaw also reassures people that the communication is authentic and unscripted. Such direct communication can raise the profile of the corporate brand and communicate the company’s mission and values. It gives a chance to drive deeper engagement with customers as well as employees. Communication today is shorter but more frequent. In a global world, communication will also become more visual. It is quite like learning a new language. One has to practice it for a while before we get it right.The Media Has ChangedEveryone who has a smartphone is a media house. Employees are talking about the brand, the workplace, company policies and everything that was thought to be discussed in hushed tones by a few. Salaries are routinely made known on social media. The line between what is private and what is public has blurred. So instead of staying away it is important to get the right information and data into the open.The leaders may choose not to engage in the conversation but that is not going to stop the conversation. Social media is not a megaphone. Often a crisis or a PR disaster will force the CEO to “issue a statement” to correct perceptions. At such times, being seen as trustworthy is vital.The concept of leadership has changed. The employees, customers, analysts and all other stakeholders are on social media. It is time to bring the C-Suite to the party as well.First written for The Economic Times dt May 6, 2014------------What could disrupt the HR function? Join me on twitter @AbhijitBhaduri