Is There a Leader in the House?
In my recent talks at university business schools, professional organizations and conferences, I have been promoting the concept that the world is changing—becoming highly distributed, global, collaborative, open and participatory—and that the legacy notions of corporate leadership are fading away. We are entering a world defined and measured by the influence of your actions and whether people choose to follow you. As you can imagine, this comes as a shock to many who still believe that the art of leadership is about lectures, PowerPoints and cultures where rank and pay outweigh competence.
In the exposed and transparent world of social media, everyone has a voice and nobody is shy about using it. Opinions are measured in real time. Influence is established in a matter of minutes based on what you have to say, how you say it and most important, whether it inspires anyone.
Leadership by title or business school pedigree is being replaced by measures of collaborative acceptance. Today, when you are presenting at a podium, within seconds of your words being uttered thousands of tweets expressing approval, dislike, admiration or disagreement are circulating globally. Speak carefully…
When companies ask me to work with them in their leadership programs and ask me to spread their leadership gospel among the people, I decline. Leadership is not about once-a-year sessions. It is about inspiring the brilliant minds in a company. Managers need to recognize the brilliance of their staff, have the courage to listen to their feedback, have the tenacity to accept input an d criticism, and above all, have the wisdom to recognize that the paradigm of leadership has changed.
This is harder than monthly company updates. The days of sending a global email and having your assistant shield you from the results are gone. I will address the changes in the global landscape in my upcoming blogs, but for those execs who can’t or won’t become part of this collaborative, transparent landscape, prepare for the exodus. Your best employees will go where they are heard, appreciated and recognized for the innovative thinking they can bring to the table. If you’re not hearing the tweets and the Facebook updates, someone else is. Listen.
Blog response for BBUS 525
Social media is quickly becoming a requirement for new managers. At Boeing, the company has started using programs such as insight and an internal wiki to foster social interaction. New tools were employees can leave status updates just on Facebook are even being used. Executives regularly post on their blogs and respond to questions within days not weeks. It is definitely a new world where social interaction is a must have not a nice to have.
I sincerely hope what you wrote is true. I have had the displeasure of working under some very inept, clueless, and uninspiring senior leadership over the past decade. What astounds me more is most of these people are in leadership positions and they totally lack the ability to effectively communicate. Let me be very clear; however, the key word in the second sentence is “some.” I have also had the pleasure of working for some truly dynamic and inspiring leaders.
When observing how the first bunch mentioned operates, I always find myself asking, “How in the world did these people get to where they are in their careers?” They had to have graduated from the right school, known the right people, or come from the right family. I believe we will always have this unfortunate scenario around us. People tend to take care of their own, regardless of how bad they may perform or unqualified they may be.
However, I do agree that our leaders are under a much more magnified microscope than ever before. Social media has given the public a voice. This voice is strong enough to topple governments, begin revolutions, and subsequently expose leaders’ follies and missteps. If one is wise, he/she can use this new phenomena to their benefit. If they listen to what those they lead say, they can gain their respect and loyalty. They can also gain an important point of view that for years has been dismissed and overlooked.
It’s a pretty interesting change in dynamic that leaders have to be more accountable downwards instead of only upwards. But there are even bigger changes afoot. Virtual companies, remote teams, and overseas contractors (eLance, anyone?) hint that leaders don’t need followers and workers don’t need leaders in the first place. If the leaders and workers can pick each other up and switch dance partners fluidly, what does THAT mean for the role of inspiration? Who inspires whom, how necessary is it, and how can it even be done in the new landscape?
A agree with the theme of this post, but disagree about therole social media plays with regards to leadership. Yes, managers need to inspire theirpeople. Yes, they need to listen totheir people and consider their ideas and passions. A true leader is one who surrounds themselveswith people they know may have contradictory ideologies – hopefully people whocomplement their strengths and weaknesses. Social media is, by its nature, short sighted. Social media has no face, no pulse, and doesnot cringe or get goose bumps. Twitterand Facebook are platforms in which ordinary people can be reactionary andcritique common strangers in output-only mode. There is no discussion. There isno Q & A. That’s not to say thatsome may have good ideas. That’s not tosay it’s not worth following the trends. But true leadership is the opposite of short-sighted. A true leader has the confidence andresoluteness to weather short-sighted criticism and continue to motivate peopletoward long term goals.