I was lucky enough to have three guests on our most recent episode – Rosie Oldfield from the Committee for Sydney, Elliott Franks from the Dept of Resources in QLD, and Danielle Maidens from – in her words – the federal government department with the longest name in history – otherwise known as the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
The question we covered: Are social CEOs magnets for talent.
As shared in our discussion, there are so many stats out there about how critical a leaders’ LinkedIn profile is today for any organisation trying to attract key talent. As many as 80% of candidates scour a CEO’s LinkedIn profile before taking a role (Brunswick). And candidates are 4x more likely to want to work for a leader who uses social media than one who does not (Brunswick). And you only need to hear a snippet from each of my guests’ stories to see these stats come to life in a compelling, human way that’s enough to make any leader take notes.
The case for being active online is clear. But if it was that simple, surely every leader would not only have a LinkedIn profile – they would use it very purposefully with the aim of attracting talent. Which we all know isn’t the case. So, where are leaders getting stuck? And how will this practical episode help?
The reality is there is a clear, common thread that runs through our three stories in episode 33. Rosie, Elliott and Dani all spoke about the ‘social CEOs’ in their world who had inspired them, altered their careers and – encouragingly – their lives, too. All three spoke about leaders who listened, who broke down barriers, who stood up for them and their peers, and who encouraged them to be the best versions of themselves. Not by being heroic figures without peers. But strangely by simply being themselves.
Yes – they are authentic.
Authenticity. The ‘A’ word. It’s certainly a term that gets bandied around, but I want you to reserve judgement for a moment so we can explore it – and its power – properly together. So how can leaders actually be authentic online? What does it look like when they are? And what do they stand to gain by tapping into their own authentic stories and passions? Below you’ll find my three tips that will help you not only find that true voice of yours, but how to use it online.
DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE.
The first and most important step to help you tap into an authentic story that resonates with others is to define your purpose. See below a link to Propel’s Purpose Pyramid framework. The specific element of the pyramid that relates to authenticity is the Passions component. This is where you reflect on what matters most to you, what issues fire you up, and why you get out of bed to do what you do every morning.
Capturing these passions and the specific stories or anecdotes that bring them to life is vital. They are the vehicles through which you share your authentic story with audiences who will gravitate towards your passion and purpose. Download the Purpose Pyramid template via the link below and spend 15-20 minutes jotting down your goals, key audiences and passions, but make sure those stories best reflect who you are as a person and what you want to stand for.
AUTHENTICITY IS REINFORCED MUCH MORE BY THE QUESTIONS YOU ASK, NOT THE ANSWERS YOU GIVE. COMMENT ON OTHERS' POSTS.
Too many leaders think they need to express their authenticity through carefully crafted posts. That it’s all about giving firm answers to questions others are grappling with, wrapped up in a neat little optimised LinkedIn post. The truth is, your authenticity is reinforced much more by the questions you ask, not the answers you give. It’s more about commenting on others’ posts than writing your own.
Think about that for a moment. If you really care about an issue, you’ll immerse yourself in it. You won’t shoot from the hip when a specific calendar date rolls around, complete with purple cupcakes. It will be there in your feed 24/7 through the people you’re listening to, interacting with and responding to.
That way, when you do come to post about it in your own words and at greater detail, there will be a group of people who already know you and your views on the issues, and trust you as a credible, authentic player in the space. So, once you’ve clarified your purpose and passions, take the time to listen and engage with other industry players who share your passions and make sure you give those key messages of yours the very best chance of being heard when it comes time to post.
BEING AUTHENTIC IS AS MUCH WHAT YOU DO TALK ABOUT AS IT IS WHAT YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT.
And this one’s hopefully a very relieving one for leaders. Being authentic is as much what you do talk about as it is what you don’t talk about. Please hear this clearly – it is ok not to talk about every issue, and issues you’re not particularly passionate about. Despite what the market or your internal stakeholders say.
But there’s a caveat here, and that caveat is actually a huge opportunity. While you don’t need to talk about every issue, if your key audiences are impacted by or care about that issue themselves – say customers, partners or investors – the organisation has a responsibility to take a position on it. If there’s an issue that matters to your people, there’s an issue that matters to your organisation. The secret is in finding the best voice through which to discuss that issue and it’s never always the CEO.
The great opportunity for platforms like LinkedIn is that everyone has a voice. It’s not like mainstream media who only want to hear from the top dog. And so when it comes to talking about issues you’re passionate about and your audiences care about, you must harness the opportunity LinkedIn provides by aligning the issue and the audience, with the messenger. Talking about DE&I programs? Make sure you have someone who can talk to that credibly. Talking about the Voice referendum? Make sure you have someone who can talk to that credibly.
It shouldn’t ever only be you, or your authenticity will be stretched – and that invites risk. You must have many more voices than your own active and enabled online. It’s worth checking the status of your wider team and who feels clear, confident and competent talking about relevant issues online – ask your comms and P&C stakeholders for this. We often run audits that reveal incredibly valuable yet hidden staff ambassadors who, with the right training, can have an enormous impact for your organisation online.
I hope this reflection on authenticity has changed your perspective on the concept altogether. Despite its cringey connotations, the very essence of authenticity is to just be yourself – hopefully you now see that as a wonderful asset and opportunity online. Drop me an email or find me on LinkedIn.
And remember, if you’re looking for a ‘LinkedIn for Leaders’ program and want to take more control of your digital reputation, our Your Digital Reputation program has been designed exactly for leaders like you. It’s everything you need to get up and running on LinkedIn in a safe, sustainable and effective way. AND – it’s all done within one month, for those leaders who want to get real results fast. Click below for details, or drop me a note for more information.
