Mr. ABHIJIT BHADURI, Wipro
A minute on the
internet means 24 crore E - mails; 40 lakh Google searches; 48,000 app
downloads, 2,77,000 tweets.T
he net has gone
social in a big way. BRAND fogs 2013 CEO, SocialMedia Leadership Survey raised
the big question, why are CEOs / CMOs not present on social media channels You
would have guessed it right. Almost 24 % of the C-Suite are risk-averse.
They fear potential
negative criticism or feedback and,hence,avoid it altogether.This is also
because many of them do not know how to use it.It is hard to be passionate
about driving if you do not know how to drive.
According to Hubspot,
82 % of consumers are more likely to trust a company whose CEO and leadership
team engage on social media. Yet only 1 in 5 CEOs have a social media account.
Why should the C-Suite be on social media
The Concept of
Leadership has Changed..!
 |
| ABHIJIT BHADURI, Wipro |
Leaders no longer
have to be remote figures seen only on television channels or in the pages of
business publications.They are real people who people can reach out to. They
are like anyone else but they lead cooler lives. They are thinking of new
ideas. They also make mistakes. That is a relief, because that is what makes
them real. The key skill of a leader is the ability to have conversations in
real time.People enjoy seeing leaders who can engage a variety of stakeholders
& have the ability to be challenged. That shows people that they are secure
enough not to hide behind scripted responses.Leadership today is all about real
people having real conversations in real time.
Communication has
Changed..
Leaders used to
communicate through press releases that had been crafted by their PR agencies.
The leaders just had to lip-sync when they were on camera. Even those films
were carefully edited to remove any creases and fumbles.An overtly edited and
scripted film does not generate awe.It is viewed with mistrust.
A little fumble, a
little flaw also reassures people that the communication is authentic and
unscripted. Such direct communication can raise the profile of the corporate
brand and communicate the companys mission and values. It gives a chance to
drive deeper engagement with customers as well as employees.
Communication today
is shorter but more frequent. In a global world,communication will also become
more visual.It is quite like learning a new language. One has to practice it
for a while before we get it right.
The Media Has
Changed..!
Everyone who has a
smartphone is a media house. Employees are talking about the brand, the workplace, company policies &
everything that was thought to be discussed in hushed tones by a few.
Salaries are
routinely made known on social media.The line between what is private and what
is public has blurred.
So, instead of
staying away it is important to get the right information and data into the
open. The leaders may choose not to engage in the conversation but that is not
going to stop the conversation.
Social media is not a
megaphone. Often a crisis or / a PR
disaster will force the CEO to issue a statement to correct perceptions. At
such times, being seen as trustworthy is vital. The concept of leadership has
changed. The employees, customers, analysts and all other stakeholders areon
social media. It is time to bring the C-Suite to the party as well.
About the author!
The author Mr. ABHIJIT BHADURI is the chief learning
officer at Wipro.The views are personal
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