Leadership is about reaching and engaging people and social networking is changing the way we do it. Look at Barack Obama’s successful use of the Internet during the presidential campaign. He reached out to the public in a way that no previous leader had. And he still does it. I read that if you follow Obama on Twitter he follows you right back. And when he (or presumably his team) tweets it’s about something important – thus establishing his own level of engagement to his constituents on an ongoing basis. News of his actions and thoughts are landing on their cell phones or computer screens. He has created a direct and intimate line to his constituency.
Leadership is also about recognizing what’s important and being willing to accept risk – and there is definitely an element of risk in putting oneself out there for all to see. It’s not for the faint of heart but the potential rewards are awesome.
Filed under: leadership, social media | Tagged: Barack Obama, engage, leadership, social_networking, tweet, Twitter
