In my opinion, government leaders need to be on social media because…

Social media can be a fantastic tool for change, influence and transparency. As a leader, you need to be visible to the market and promote the work of your organisation. In my line of work, it’s absolutely imperative for governments to show transparency, be authentic, listen to their citizens and celebrate the achievements of their people.

When it came to my own digital brand, the turning point for me was… 

I’ve always said that in order to build a social media profile, you need to both ‘curate’ (i.e. re-post the content of others with an overlay of your own opinions and insights) and ‘create’ (i.e. share your own original content). When I started writing my own articles where I shared my personal thoughts, feelings and experiences – which took courage and vulnerability – that’s when I started gaining a large number of followers.

My biggest barrier up to that point was… 

Reluctance to post my original work came from a fear of negative feedback – either being ‘trolled’ for my opinions, or getting on the wrong side of stakeholders who may have a contrary view. But I later discovered that LinkedIn is a very professional platform where healthy debate is encouraged, and personal attacks are very uncommon (and usually taken down).

I’m currently using social media to… 

I use social media as a mechanism to reinforce authentic leadership. I’m not afraid to talk about what I believe makes a good leader, my own personal vulnerabilities such as mental health, call out uncomfortable issues such as inequality, and (of course) report on the latest developments at @InvestmentNSW (UPDATE: now former role) and celebrate the achievements of my team.

I work this into my day by… 

There are many, many things to squeeze into the day, so personally I tend to use time travelling between appointments to engage with social media (e.g. I have a habit of writing LinkedIn articles on airplanes), or at the end of the day when I’m at home with my feet up. I often share things with colleagues, comment on the go, or even send things to myself that I want to pick back up on later. The bottom line is – engage often, and engage meaningfully.

The major benefits I’ve seen to date are…

I believe that some of my career progression has been thanks to my social media presence, as Government leaders and CEOs sometimes know who I am and what I’m about before I even show up for the job interview! In terms of my current role (UPDATE: now former), it’s very useful for market awareness and leads – I’m approached every day with new pitches and opportunities and do my best to help facilitate introductions to the right people as fast as I can. For example, one of the purposes of Investment NSW is to act as a concierge service for business, culture, study or growth conversations – we have a team on hand to respond to any and all enquiries.

My advice for other leaders wanting to build their own digital brand is…

Be present and be yourself. Put your own, authentic, unique point of view out there. Promote the opportunities and highlight the things people wouldn’t otherwise see. Be approachable, and lastly, be open to new conversations – you never know where they will land!

One opportunity or success social media has provided that I couldn’t have accessed otherwise is… 

Widening my bandwidth – both in terms of knowledge and contacts. For me, it’s what you know and who you know.

Someone who does a great job of managing their digital brand – who motivates and inspires me – is…

Two of the people I find most inspiring and engaging are Brene Brown and Simon Sinek. Look them up and follow them – I guarantee you won’t regret it!