Six Social Media traits for Great Leaders
Last year McKinsey carried out some excellent research on the skills needed as for every leader on Social Media. They carried out in depth research with global businesses and their top level executives.
As we have seen Social media is now becoming a hot topic for businesses around the globe, small and large. In our new book we help smaller growing businesses understand how Social media can help them grow their business via building a community and sharing content and discussions with that community.
McKinsey research has identified six traits needed by all leaders:
1. The leader as producer: Creating compelling Content
As we discuss in the book at length, content is key. With the wide spread use of video, sharing your messages to your business is now easier than ever before. All your team and stakeholders can now “hear it from the horse’s mouth” or from the bosses youtube channel
2. The leader as distributor: Leveraging dissemination dynamics
Social media has changed the way businesses share information. Gone are the days of memos and briefings of the different levels of management. Business leaders can now share information all the way through the organisation easily and consistently.
3. The leader as recipient: Managing communication overflow
How much information do we see each day? In our mobile world of social media, we are seeing literally hundreds of messages a day, each and every day. Managing this vast ocean of information is a skill that all business leaders must develop and refine.
4. The leader as adviser and orchestrator: Driving strategic social-media utilisation
Social media adoption is extremely varied due to its’ infancy. Some of the business will be highly efficient on social media, whereas others will not even know what it is. A good business will help drive the adoption of social media and help train the new users. A great business, will also help advise and support the users with guidelines around how to use social media.
5. The leader as architect: Creating an enabling organisational infrastructure
Social media is not controlled and it goes against the old structure of an organisation, which is formal with clear levels of command. Great leaders need to adapt to the new world and allow social media to define the structure, as well as retaining the control and command needed by all businesses and communities.
6. The leader as analyst: Staying ahead of the curve
Social Media and the E-Revolution has only just begun. This game changing environment challenges every business to adapt and grow with the new technologies and communities. Great leaders, need to stay on top of these changes and ensure they are integrated into the business when it is needed. Leaders who fail to adapt to the future will fail their business and their community.
See more analysis here:
http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/high_tech_telecoms_internet/six_social-media_skills_every_leader_needs