Leadership for Social Business

As you undoubtedly know, social media is hot. It's a really big deal.

But do you know what's the next hot big deal thing? Social Business.

And do you know what it takes to build, manage and grow as a social business?  

Social leaders, and social leadership. (Yeah I know, enough already with the word social. Way overplayed, right!?  Well, find a better one and I'll use it. Barring that, gotta go with the flow.)

But what exactly is a social business and social leaders/ship, and why do we (strike that, why should we) care.

In a nutshell, social business is when companies and/or organizations leverage social enterprise technology, like IBM Connections.  But more than just using social technology platforms, they also incorporate "socially-minded" strategies and processes. 

By fusing social strategy, technology and processes across the entire enterprise (see graph below) - this encourages/produces a more creative, collaborative community of employees, customers and partners in a more accessible, transparent way than traditional, non-social enterprises.  Get it?

Now, from a social leaders/leadership standpoint - it's pretty much the same as how it works for a social business, except on an individual, self-directed/managed way.  In other words, social leaders use social technologies, strategies, process and mindsets to get their people excited and inspired about their company, job, work and life.  

Moreover, they produce higher performing people/teams, and are more trusted (after all, don't you want to follow an energizing leader who cares, and gets you motivated)? 

According to a recent article that I read (sorry, I forget who gets credit here, so if it's you, please stand and take a bow), there are 10 core attributes of social leaders:

• They establish authority

• They build social proof

• They walk the walk

• They are consistent in both work and life

• They hang with the right people

• They take time for relationships

• They build a platform that invites conversation

• They recognize that it’s not about them

• They do the work themselves

• They are sincere

As I'm sure you would agree, those attributes aren't necessarily new, are they? They're pretty old-school, actually; been required leadership principles for decades, right.  Indeed, they're not some new-fangled, pie-in-the-sky, born-on-the-web, list of attributes that "older folks" can't get their head around. Nope.

Which is why everyone (especially those in leadership roles) can rally on being a social leader. If you think about it, all you really have to do is take your already socially-minded leadership thinking/actions/habits (you do have those already, right) and sync them up with today's social technology.

But do it now, if you're not already. Get going - don't wait.  Or worst of all, wait it out.  That'll be like waiting for Godot ... and we all know what happened there, right (hint: he never showed up)?

Social Leaders/Leadership is Good.