Why You Need To Be Online To Have Visible Leadership

Leveraging online is strategically significant, likely mission critical, for creating sustainable and relevant organisations. Yet many leaders have either failed to recognise the importance of operating effectively online or failed to take decisive action.

These are some of the words on the back cover of my book You’re On Mute published in late 2021.

I find myself in conversations with people who are still wrestling with the concept of ‘being a leader’ online.

Let me be clear. This is not an option. Failure to create your online leadership is failure to lead. The world has changed, and it won’t go back. The expectation of leaders is also clear. Be visible, be visibly leading. Connect with us, your people, wherever we are.

The last few years has seen the connection between leaders and their teams decline, in some instances dramatically. And I’m sure you are familiar with the adage that people do business with people they Know, Like and Trust. If you are not being visible, others will have a hard time getting to know, like and trust you….including your team. How do they connect with you if you are not visibly leading?

How would you rate the level of trust you have with your people?

How would your people rate the current level of trust they feel with you?

Now let’s add in the Great Re-Evaluation which is impacting leaders, teams, and organisations around the world as they struggle to retain, find, and recruit the talent they need. People are re-evaluating how work fits in with their lives. The expectations people have of their leaders have changed over the last few years …a lot !!

The 2021 Connected Leadership Survey by Brunswick Insight found that 60% of prospective hires now study a CEO’s social media accounts before joining a company. Once hired, employees prefer by more than a 5:1 ratio to work for a leader who is active on social media.

In fact, more than 90% of people trust a leader who uses social media over a CEO who does not.

To be leading visibly, creating opportunity for connection, and building trust with your people, you need to operate where they do. That includes online in its many forms.

Where does that leave you?

How well have you positioned yourself and your leadership in the online realm?

What will it take for you to continue Leading Possibility?

I’d love to know your thoughts.