To all my CEO friends out there, present and future:
Dodo birds are extinct, and for a very good reason. They failed to change with their environment. Don't be a dodo.
Leaders, try to keep this in mind: if you don't have any use for Social Media at present, that doesn't mean that Social doesn't have use for you. ...And do you really want to get "used" by a cyber world that you don't understand, respect, or have any control over? (Hint: if you don't respect SM today, you will learn to - possibly at your peril - very soon indeed.)
The Social Media revolution isn't coming: it's already upon us. Don't get left in the 20th Century with the passenger pigeon and the dot matrix printer.
From the article:
It’s no secret that social media—global, open, transparent, non-hierarchical, interactive, and real time—are changing consumer behavior and workplace expectations. As a result, the best businesses are creating comprehensive strategies in this area to support their goals. However, my research on the organizational implications of social media and consulting work with dozens of companies in America, Europe, and Asia suggest that it is taking longer for corporate leaders to consider what the new paradigm means for them personally.
Enjoy!
Excellent post. Greetings from Barcelona, Spain
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mktrevolution.blogspot.com/
Raúl León Lozano
Companies need to go where their customers and targets are - if they are using social media (and they are) then CEO's need to understand and pay attention themselves. Referrals are checked against social media both for companies and their leaders...CEO's should at least get the idea that web and social media presentation matter.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with the above comment from Todd that CEOs should stay close to their customers through the new platform of social media. However, if CEOs don't have an engaging personality and are not authentic about their engagement online, then this becomes another tactic. CEOs need to really ask themselves 'why' should they tweet and be real about the purpose or intent behind this tactic.
ReplyDeleteRight on Ted! I can't hit RT fast enough.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing and telling when CEOs, or business owners, neither have a social media strategy nor think much of it. Then I say, "tell your story before it's told for you." And then they pay attention.
Also, I do agree with Aline, some CEOs are simply not cut out to do a good job of it. Then again, chances are, if those CEOs are honest with themselves, they're probably not good at communications, period. And if they're smart, they hire people who're not yes-men and will be straight with them about their strengths, weaknesses, and strategy.