In Why Being Social Makes You a Better Leader, Geil Browning talks about a new era of leadership where relationships and social connectivity matter more than ever before for powerful leadership.
Agree?
She says a social, relational approach is going to take you places, and that’s characterised by:
- intuitive thinking
- care for how decisions affect people
- orientation toward relationships and a desire to get things done through people
- a collaborative, team focused approach
- an ability to connect ideas and work to people.
The last 3 points are most interesting. We have powerful new tools at our disposal. Ideas, people and social technologies are all growing up together, creating something that’s different from before. That’s powerful. A leadership revolution is drilling its way up through the core of ‘the way things used to happen around here’.
I like these words from Jane McConnell (@netjmc):
‘Certain social capabilities disrupt the way organisations work, challenging hierarchical management. HR no longer controls the definition of expertise: experts emerge in discussions in internal social networks. Communication no longer completely controls the message, the target and the timing: employees share information and make announcements spontaneously in blogs and discussion groups.’
The bird at the top of the perch is no longer necessarily the leader.
Social leaders can be anywhere.
This blog was first published in Aug 2013
