Why Leaders Must Use Social Media Responsibly

amitwrite

We live in a social world. Think about it; the president’s tweets are required reading that shape both domestic policy and international relations and almost never fail to shock. From openly mocking the leader of North Korea to passive-aggressive snipes at basketball players to threatening freedom of the press, the president is not and has never been shy when it comes to Twitter – to an almost alarming degree. Leaders have a duty to use social media responsibly.
It is profoundly clear that he neither understands his duty to communicate with the world in a way that shows he grasps the gravity of his words, nor, if he does, that he very much cares about it. And that’s a problem for lots of reasons, but the biggest one is his failure to grasp that as a leader, he has a duty regarding what and how he communicates to the world.
Social media is a hitherto-unknown new channel by which leaders can communicate and engage with the people they serve, and the question we’re now faced with is what exactly constitutes its responsible usage? It’s an ongoing conversation, one that raises questions of what responsibility social media providers like Twitter have in policing content, but one I suspect we’re conducting under somewhat false pretenses; how can it not be painfully clear what responsibility is in the wake of such obvious irresponsibility? Because at the root isn’t a question of what we do with this novel use of new technology; it’s one of the abuse of power, which is an age-old question we know well how to answer, and it’s not specific to the president.
So, with that in mind, let’s talk about using social media responsibly, especially for women leaders.
The “bully pulpit” does not belong to you. Part of leadership, especially for women, means acknowledging that your influence depends on trust; that means demonstrating you understand the power you wield and are capable of rising above your personal bugaboos. And while this is true for public figures generally, it’s doubly so for those entrusted with some degree of public confidence by virtue of their position, with which comes the recognition that your ability to operate as a private citizen is curtailed.
In other words, what we’re discussing is the fact that your public person becomes inextricably tied with your organization; your personality must and will both interact with and infect your organization and people’s perceptions of it. When you speak, you speak in a very real sense in the person of your company, club, foundation, group, or – yes – country.
“Get personal” doesn’t mean “start fights.” Now, that doesn’t mean you’re required to reduce your public presence into nothing more than carefully-curated banalities or milquetoast content that nobody could possibly think anything about, although you’re welcome to, and many high-profile people do exactly that. You’re welcome to turn your Twitter account into whatever you like.
But, if you want to be responsible, think about social as an opportunity to create and maintain an emotional connection with your audience; keeping things positive as much as you reasonably can offers your audience a controlled window into your life while still creating the illusion of intimacy. That intimacy gives you an opportunity to engage a mass readership on your terms, without offering them ammunition they can later use against you or your organization. Recognize that your social profile, the protestations of many to the contrary, does reflect back both on you personally and on the organizations or companies you lead.
Stay cognizant of the kinds of criticisms women usually receive for being outspoken, not so that you can let the fear of them dictate your actions, but so that you can take care to consider the kind of impact you may have that might not have been intended. Exercise caution; peoples’ jobs are at stake
Your words have a bigger impact than you think. Social media feels small; you type a few words out onto a screen and hit “send” and then go about your day; but the asymmetric relationship between you and your audience means that you’re doing more than you might think: you’re creating a context for everything else your company does and injecting your outsized presence into a situation. And the boss’s presence is always going to be disruptive.
That’s something you need to take into account at all times. The very fact of being a leader, in a position of power – be it political, corporate, religious, or any other kind of power – requires you to take deadly serious the fact that your actions have consequences that can and will extend far beyond your immediate surroundings. That means your words have outsized importance; far from being an anonymous middle schooler who feels emboldened by anonymity to shout racial slurs into the void, someone in a leadership position must squarely admit to those consequences and recognize the symbolic power of speech. You can raise your company’s valuation or destroy it with a word; you can send your employees reeling with an ill-timed tweet. You are more than you think.
Leaders need to be cognizant of the reach and impact of their words. To fail at that is to fail at the most basic role a leader has: to lead with deliberation and care

Source: Forbes

venkatesan5253

But in some countries, if you post anything against the ruling government, you may be chargesheeted thereby there is every chance of getting arrested.

anuragdani

A good read, but most of the people on social media dont like an honest read and get personal and insulting .

Mandwanikamlesh

They should not post anything that may mislead thier followers.

Akm1001

Leadership and responsibility goes hand in hand. With advent of social media now the reach of leaders within their followers is tremendous and faster than before.