THE LONG READ: Social Leadership in a time of Crisis
Like so many of you, this is my first time leading a team in a time of crisis. There’s no denying that the sense of uncertainty in the air right now is palpable. People are worried - on both a personal and professional level - and assuring and supporting those who depend on us has never felt more challenging - or more vital.
At Yapster, we’ve always tried our best to practice something we call 'Social Leadership'. Simply put, it’s the use of digital media to unite teams at scale. But even before digital media came into play, leaders have been uniting people - in good times and bad - using whatever medium of communication was available to them.
When society started out - back when rulers only ruled because they happened to be born into the right family, or because they happened to command the strongest armies - leaders were often authoritarian. Inducing fear in their followers by using coercion was all they knew how to do.
Those who did want to be liked were far too disconnected from their audience to know how to go about it! So, based on our contemporary standards of successful leadership, back then good leaders were rare.
But when the Greeks conceived the notion of public speaking over 2,000 years ago, rhetoric suddenly became a critical skill for citizens, in both their public and private lives.
Oral communication had a huge impact on the notion of leadership. Finally, serious matters could be approached with words. Brain could triumph over brawn, reason over brute emotion. The leadership landscape was evolving.
It wasn’t long until the oral culture started looking for ways of storing what had been said. People wanted to remember - and refer back to - what great leaders had to say. The “scribal culture” satisfied that demand for a while, until print came along.
And printing was quick. Speedy printing meant a rapid propagation of ideas, which resulted in knowledge and cultural movements that were more deeply embedded and much harder to destroy.
What I hope you’re noticing now is the correlation between communication and leadership. That with each new style of communication, new movements and types of leaders emerge.
400 years after print, an Italian inventor proved the feasibility of radio communication. Forty years after that, Winston Churchill’s voice was transmitted through the airwaves. In a diary entry written when he was 22, he claimed this...
“Of all the talents bestowed upon men, none is so precious as the gift of oratory. He who enjoys it wields a power more durable than that of a great king.”
There’s no denying that a voice reveals an authenticity of emotion unmatched by the written word. But that was until the USA took this one step further, with the film star president.
When Ronald Reagan became the 40th President of the United States, he’d just wrapped up a 27-year career in acting. This meant he was uniquely comfortable communicating through the medium of TV. His on-screen confidence, coupled with his appealing personality and folksy charm, earned him the title of ‘The Great Communicator’ - which was a key factor in his election victory.
Reagan’s success - like Churchill’s - could be attributed to the fact that he utilised the era’s most popular media platform. With TV sets more readily available than ever before, Reagan could deliver his message directly to the widest possible audience.
Which brings us to here and now. It’s safe to say that social media has revolutionized the way leaders communicate to their audience. And it’s here that social leadership really comes into play because the most successful leaders are those who embrace their audiences’ preferred ways of communicating.
(RE) INTRODUCING SOCIAL LEADERSHIP
At Yapster we try our best to practice 'Social Leadership'. Of course we utilise Yapster for this, but to be clear any company-wide comms channel (such as Facebook or LinkedIn groups) can serve this purpose.
Not only have digital media made this type of direct communication more time and cost effective and measurable than ever before, it’s helped leaders communicate important messages with speed, sincerity and clarity.
In good times, ‘Social Leadership’ is about inspiring and recognising others. But in tough times like these, it really matters.
Social leadership is about communicating clearly and honestly. It's about owning the challenges that stand in front of you, and acknowledging the impact your decisions as a leader will have on the situations being lived by your team.
It’s also really hard to do.
But in times like these, when people are feeling unsettled and uncertain, nothing is more important. So, how can you use social media to fulfil your role as a social leader?
It’s good to set a rhythm for communication so people know when to expect the next update. Remember - in times like these, over communicating is better rather than under-communicating.
SHARE UPDATES & KEEP TEAMS IN THE LOOP - Post daily broadcasts to ensure your teams are in the know about what’s going on within the business and beyond it.
INSPIRE OTHERS - Share positive customer feedback to let your wider team know how appreciated they are during this difficult time.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE - Be a vehicle for positive change. Do what you can to help those most in need - and use social platforms to broaden your reach
WHAT YOU SAY NOW MATTER MOST
What we’re going through right now is unprecedented. It’s no surprise that everywhere we look there’s new information, differing information, arguably too-much information.
As leaders, we have a duty to cut through that chaos in some small way and provide our teams with valuable and meaningful communication.
The thing I love most about the sectors we serve is the sense of community. And instilling and encouraging that sense of community has never felt more vital than it does now.
So if you feel you need to be more present on your company’s social channels, but you’re not quite sure if or how to start, we’re here to help. And not as consultants, but as friends and as peers.
