Social media
platforms
Leveraging leadership
and communication
in the digital age
It seems these days everyone has
less and less time, yet communication by
those in leadership positions is required at a
speed and consistency as never before. This
is intimidating for some, especially those
who are afraid of making a very public mis-
take as they slowly begin to engage with new
platforms and tools to communicate with
larger audiences than ever before. Leader-
ship has never been for the faint of heart, but
in today’s world, bravery is a requirement.
Leadership and social media com-
munication
For years, the content marketing experts
have drilled into us that brands must reach
audiences with content that matters to
them — where, when and how they want it
— in order for audiences to engage online,
which is critical to company success. Lead-
ers must do the same. In order to build trust,
strengthen community and establish cred-
ibility, a leader must be able to communi-
cate across multiple channels, in a variety of
18
Leadership
voices, and be able to generate and distribute
consistently credible and useful information
and ideas. Leaders should assume that what-
ever they post online will be fact-checked by
potentially thousands of people and that
participation in a group or conversation may
be viewed as tantamount to taking a side
on an issue. It is very important to be clear
about your intent, your perspective, and your
goals in online conversations.
To accomplish this, leaders must be able
to share and create engaging, credible,
trustworthy and transparent content across
social media platforms that enhances their
audiences’ ability to make important deci-
sions, join large conversations, engage with
the communities they lead and the ones they
aspire to lead. You must assume that your
professional and personal lives intersect on-
line, regardless of the work you do to keep
them separate. Because of this, ethical and
authentic posting and sharing is paramount.
By Darcy Totten