I was talking to a good friend the other day about Twitter. He knows that I believe it is important. Really important. Some of his clients are also beginning to ask questions about it. But he just didn’t get it.
He finally blurted out, “It just seems like a huge waste of time. I don’t need one more inbox to check. I can barely keep up with what I have now.”
I said, “Buddy, you’re completely missing it.”
“Missing what?” he said, defensively.
“The potential.”
“What potential?” he asked emphatically.
“It’s not about what you get out of it,” I said. “It’s about the opportunity it affords you to give to others and make an impact.”
“Excuse me,” he muttered.
“Twitter is an opportunity for you to lead in a way that was not possible until now.” I explained.
“As you and I both teach, when you boil it down, leadership is influence. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” he acknowledged.
“Leadership is not about position, a title, or status. It is about influence. Plain and simple. I know you believe that, too, right?”
“Right.”
I continued, “If that’s true, then Twitter provides an unprecedented opportunity for people like us to extend and amplify our influence. You don’t have to buy time on television or radio. You don’t have to write a book or magazine column. You don’t even have to blog,” I went on.
“All you have to do is write short 140 character micro-posts about what you are doing or—more importantly—what has your attention right now.”
I could almost hear his brain shift into a different gear. “You and I both know that people today crave leadership. They are dying for role models. They want to see what good leadership looks like—as it is lived out in the challenges of everyday life.”
I continued, “If you are living your life on-purpose, like I know you are, then by Twittering, you are modeling something worth emulating. This is unquestionably the most powerful way to lead.”
“Hmm.” I could hear the flicker of possibility in his voice. I knew this was resonating with him. But then he countered, “But you just can’t lead by Twittering.”
“I agree. I am not suggesting that you can. It is simply one tool in your leadership toolbox—but a very powerful one. Twitter is like an influence amplifier. It enables you to extend your influence in ways never before possible.”
We continued to chat about this for several more minutes. He finally said, “Wow! Maybe there’s more to Twitter than I thought. How do I get started.”
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this is most excellent!
Great post, indeed!
Wonderful description of Twitter as an influence amplifier.
Great post thank you
Leadership is indeed about more than position, status, or title. But it has to be about more than influence, too. Influence alone presupposes that leaders have all the answers. So leadership has to reach for real inspiration, for the excited and collaborative involvement of followers. Twitter can help on this, too, by both implicitly and explicitly encouraging people to be more of what they can be. Moreover, recognizing that leadership requires a connection between leader and follower–no connection, no leadership–Twitter does a marvelous job of bringing leader and follower together frequently during the day. It strengthens the essential connection, which increases the potential for inspiring followers. Just my two cents. Thanks for your wonderful blogs, Michael.
I'm not sure that influence presupposes that leaders have all the answers. Maybe we are just quibbling over words, but I certainly see my role as a leader to ask the right questions—and that is a sort of influence.
Regardless, I totally agree that Twitter provides an opportunity to inspire people. I love that aspect of it, too.
This is an excellent perspective and, for me, helps to re-think the purpose and focus of my tweeting.
- @pursuingyahweh
Perhaps we know leadership depends on charisma, but it is only when someone spells it out as you have done, that we become aware of the power influence has. I've always enjoyed twittering as it has placed me in the middle of a community which I would not otherwise have had, but now it has an added significance.
The only way to influence people is to communicate with them and Twitter is just one more forum for doing that. Investing time in Twitter is like any other investment – there is no guarantee of a return. With Twitter, a Warren Buffet style of getting into it for the long-run is far more likely to be profitable than a quarterly results mindset ("I got ten thousand new followers yesterday and I can show you how to do it!"). And as Peter Lynch pointed out, when it comes to investing one home run makes up for a lot of strike-outs. So too with Twitter: if you make one real friend, it's worth having to skim over ten posts about what complete strangers had for breakfast.
Joe Tye
Haha. Great comments Joe Tye! Last line is classic.
I totally agree. Like most things, it takes persistence over time.
Great post. Agree with Joe 100%. Title and key phrase in the post that pulled strong to me: "Twitter as a leadership tool… an influence amplifier!" Twitter is like a megaphone that enables each of us to expand our contribution into the lives of others but for those who use it right, it's also a tremendous resource to gain insight from others and engage in conversations that were never possible before (online and eventually offline).
Side note on leadership… love this quote by Erwin McManus, "The world doesn't need more great leaders, the world needs more great people who lead." In its own way I think Twitter helps the voices of the good people who lead rise above. The people who are in it (Twitter) just for themselves or who try to leverage it only as a platform to hawk their products will fizzle out in the end.
I love that McManus quote. That's exactly right!
Great points all Michael. Amazing when the mind shifts from 'what do I get' to 'how can I serve' and when we let go of judgements and get good at the questions. Thanks!
I think this principle probably applies to all of life. It is a way of living, don't you think? So many people miss it.
Thanks for this post. It comes at a time when I am in the early stages of shaping my involvement with Twitter.
Like so many other aspects of leadership I think using Twitter boils down to the size of the imagination. Think big and Twitter can be a powerful "influence amplifier." But if we limit imagination to nothing more than a daily routine Twitter becomes a chore instead of a tool.
Now, how do we get people who are not Twittering to believe there is value here? If we are to use Twitter as an influence amplifier, that presupposes the folks we intend to influence are signed up.
Your questions presupposes that leaders should be the ones selecting the people they want to influence. Perhaps it works better the other way around.
Maybe instead of gathering a group of people and trying to lead them, we should simply lead and see who follows.
Thanks for your comment, Paul. You do have a point. Although, as a leader, I reserve the right to change course if I do not like the crowd behind me :).
I think Paul makes a valid point.
However, I do encourage the people around me to Twitter. Obviously, they chose whether or not they want to follow. Regardless, I am not bashful about asking.
One of the best things I did when I started Twittering was to get my family on-board. I didn't know how valuable it would be at first. However, it has really allowed us as a family to stay VERY connected to one another.
Good idea. Thanks Michael.
In staff ministry, influence is key. Twitter helps me influence others in a unique way. Serving at a megachurch in a wide-ranging ministry means dozens of often quick interactions with people each day. At the same time, there are those who just want to know you better, your interests, habits, what you do outside ministry.This takes an investment of time. For those who are on twitter, and want to know you better, this is a way to do that, and for me to know them.
Thanks for the insight. I will definitely be looking at my tweets with a different attitude. In the end it all comes back around to where the heart is and if my heart is on purpose then my tweets will be as well.
This is a fantastic blog post which lead to my own post (which I will not plug here). It reminds me of Maxwell's theory of "leading from the middle". Leadership is influence. Titles are about pay grade. They are not necessarily connect.
If you think you're leading and no one is following you're just taking a walk.
Your last quote is awesome. I have heard Maxwell say that, too, but had forgotten about it. Excellent!
Great insight, Michael.
Just explained to someone this week how intentional my random tweets are. They fall into three categories for my use:
1. Personal posts about family stuff (things kids say, what the family is doing) directed toward grandparents who live several states away.
2. Thoughtful or Insight posts directed toward church members for encouragement or to spur questions and growth.
3. Off the Wall comments intended to reveal a different (fun, human) side of myself, typically directed toward people with whom I'm trying to build a more intimate relationship.
Other audiences are obviously hit by posts intended for specific groups. However, that reality expands my spheres of influence in ways (relationship contexts) I wouldn't normally have with those individuals because they wouldn't interact with me in those arenas of my life.
Thanks Michael for sharing this experience and asking the question on leadership viewpoint.
Absolutely well said, on multiple accounts, Mike. First, Twitter is not another inbox and to think so is decidedly short-sighted. The larger point you make is that people today are craving good leadership. In organizations large and small, people in the trenches want to be led. In the absence of good leaders in their own spaces, people are seeking out leadership role models in other spaces. Social networking sites makes this easier than ever before, which is just one of many reasons that make Twitter a great tool!
Thank you for coherently explaining Twitter. I've tried…with mixed results. Anyway I completely agree. Splendid.
For the benefit of anyone else reading, the best way to learn Twitter is to jump in. You can best learn by DOING.
Michael,
I can’t agree more that leadership is influence. I hadn’t considered how that applies to Twitter as the influence amplifier.
In my work with clients I am constantly trumpeting that management is not alwasy leadership. In fact, I’m presenting on that topic Monday and Tuesday of next week at a conference.
A further distinction I make is that leadership can be successful or it can be successful and effective.
Successul leadership is achieved when the follower(s) complete the task because the boss is watching or is using position power to require compliance.
Effective leadership is when followers are influenced to complete an assignment even when no one is looking.
Thanks for the insights!
P.S. I’ve written several blog posts on leadership if you’re interested at http://www.orgresults.net/newsblog/index.php/category/leadership/
Thanks, Jim. These are good insights. I like your distinction between "successful" and "effective."
Thanks to your influence, I am using both Facebook and Twitter now and I enjoy both of them. I've also been thinking about if and how I can use either or both with my colleagues and students. The one problem I see with getting my students involved is the inevitable impropriety of what they will write. I've clicked on some of the trending topics and a lot of what is posted is offensive. Although people have the right to post whatever they want, I have to be careful of what is connected to my classroom. However, Twitter and Facebook might be tools our staff can use to strengthen our communication. I'm going to talk it up this year.
Actually, I would let them express themselves and not shut it down. It can be a kind of listening station for them. Whether you hear them on Twitter or Facebook, they are still thinking it and saying it. This gives you the advantage of better speaking into their lives with the issues that are important to them.
Just a thought …
Actually, we have access to a virtual classroom called Moodle. I thought I'd try setting forums and chats there to see how they handle that. The advantage of Moodle is that I can take them to the computer lab and use class time to get them involved in social media (can't do that with Facebook and Twitter). Many of my students do need to understand online etiquette–they will be in the work world fairly soon, so they do need to learn the productive way to participate online.
By the way, my students trust me and are not at all shy about expressing themselves. I handle inapproriate statements by covering my ears and talking about how my poor innocent ears are hurting. They laugh, but they get the message.
I’m working on a 3rd post in a series related to this topic. (Strangely, I made very similar statements regarding influence a few days ago). I must add, though, that I’m not completely convinced about twitter (I’m test-driving). If we have something worthwhile to share, influence is certainly important (as I wrote here previously.) But twitter is not pure gold. I cannot swallow it…yet. I’ll just keep chewing on it for a while.
That's what I said when I started. ;-)
Seriously, you are doing the right thing—test-driving. If it works, great. If not, you'll at least be able to say you gave it a whirl.
Good insight Michael. From some people on twitter you just find out what they had for breakfast, but in a few words you can write someting significant and influential. I’m getting there, and I appreciate your insights, both here and on twitter.
My Twitter influence changed dramatically when I started interacting with those I following and those following me. As I respond to their tweets with thank you's, comments, or answers, they return that favor. I've found Twitter has gone from a rather distant activity and become an interactive part of my day. It's also causing people to see my website, which is wonderful.
Absolutely. Twitter is more of a conversational tool than a broadcast tool.
I was meeting with a gentleman today who had quite a large point, but had obviously missed the dialogue component. He was only using Twitter to shout at his followers. It made me wonder how long he would retain them.
With regard to influence.. I can only influence those people who feel a connection to me, and if my boss is a disconnected management jerk.. twitter is only going to magnify his/her shortcomings. Some have already recieved twiiter “reminders” from their bosses that say influential things like “get back to work” and “remember the deadline”.
Look at the number of people who have simply made twitter their next spam engine and obnoxious marketing tool.
I twittter… I have hundreds of followers… and I follow lots of people. But I don’t suffer from the delusion that any of them read my postings anymore than I read theirs. There is so much effort being made to justify the hype of this amazing “Next BIG Thing”. Like facebook, Twitter seems mostly to help create the illustion of followers, connections, and listeners. In a world where people are dying to be heard, feel understood and not be lonely …it allows them to pretend that more people are listening, following, and caring than really do. The connections and ability to make more of them with things like Twitter, Facebook etc, continues to exacerbate the shallowness of existing relationships that do exist. Hence the surveys that continue to say that the average adult today has less meaningful relationships than any time before.(that we surveyed such things). Twitter is great…but it’s not “all that”
Kirk Out
Kirk, if we are looking at Facebook, Twittter, or any other social media for our validation, we are looking in the wrong places. There is One who listens, understands, and cares, but we often relegate Him as someone we visit with in our quiet times and as someone we worship in meetings with other believers. God is so much more that what we give Him credit for. He will come into our foxholes, hunker down next to us, put His arms around us, comfort us, and give us the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom we need to overcome everything that comes against us. Meanwhile, at most, Twitter and Facebook can only be springboards into meeting and interacting with other people. They are only tools–they are not our life.
Personally, I think that Twitter, like most technologies, can be used well or used poorly. As an amplifier, it serves to magnify are strongest traits. If we are generous and other-centered, that leads to one kind of Twittering. If we are self-absorbed and selfish, that leads to another outcome.
But the choice is ours—as it is with most of life.
Great post. Thanks Mike.
In addition to expanding my influence, I also love using twitter as tool for getting out of my comfort zone and learning about people and viewpoints quite different from my own. I shared my thoughts on this in recent post on my blog: http://tinyurl.com/la8v9z
I'm using it to influence leaders. My experience has been much the same as yours– the harried middle manager or executive barely has time to eat lunch let alone figure out how to tweet. Nearly all my conversations with director or c-level leaders in the past six months have invariably ended up some in form of discussion about social media. ____Ironically, even though I’m not a social media expert by any means, I’ve become an ad hoc social media mentor to my clients. Your conversation has given me some great words to use with my more cautious listeners.____Thanks!__
Great post, Michael. As with most "new" technology, people will try it when the witness people like them using it and when they think they'll get something out of it.
I think I can use it as a leadership tool to spark awareness. Earlier today you tweeted about United Airlines breaking guitars and had a link to a youtube video about a band's experience in the form of song. Your 140 characters or less was shared this information with me and I could read the actual incident from the band's website. Information and opinions are shared rather quickly and Twitter helps the spread of influence.
I think that video really shows the importance of being online as a corporation. If you aren't listening to your customers and responding quickly, you could have a media disaster on your hands before you know what hit you.
Yes, pertaining to your post it allows customers(satisfied or otherwise) to lead other potential customers accordingly when considering products or services.
Totally agree. To see more ways that Twittering is PRICELESS check out my blog (june 9th) http://www.wisdomherald.com/Home/new-herald
I confess, I am a huge Twitter fan.
It provides the opportunity to empower people from far and wide. It also creates an avenue through which the playing field is leveled a bit, and the low person on the totem pole might feel as though he or she actually has a voice. That is so key – the sense of believing that leaders actually hear what the rest of us are saying. Additionally, it can create some unlikely connections. The little, invisible secretary in Nowhereville, USA might get a chance to encourage the bigwig of a multi-gazillion dollar corporation who offices on the opposite side of the country. Where else but Twitter could something like that happen?
There's amazing potential here. It will be interesting to see how its use evolves over time.
@brilliantsass
I agree. I have met so many people via Twitter that have become real-life friends and business associates. Sometime I want to blog about this, but it is really amazing when you stop and think about it. Where else, indeed?!
Jeff, I really appreciate how intentional you are about this. I think it will serve you well in the months to come.
Great post MIchael. I've just started using Twitter, primarily because of reading your blog posts. I manage a sales team and I am using it to share my thoughts after coaching sessions, training workshops, and to keep people up to speed on where I am at during the day. I don't have a ton of followers yet but hopefully that will change as Twitter bridges the generation gap in the world of Real Estate. Thanks for all you do.
Excellent point, many of my friends & colleagues don't get Twitter but they do see my tweets linked over to Facebook. From that they see how I've made myself a resource plus I'm creating awareness of our brands by finding interesting news to share, so they are learning by my example while gaining insight into my life.
Appreciate your insight. Leadership, especially visionary leadership points the way into the unknown and makes visible that which has not been commonly visible before. Twitter offers the opportunity to pose inquiries and questions that, if one takes the time to notice (and that's the big issue) give one pause. I prefer not to see it as competitive, but as an opportunity for as many people as possible to get the message out…that message for me is basically visionary and soulful.
Good information! I like the post, it really is a great leadership tool, and also, a way of informing people of important events/or decisions in one's life.
Thanks.
“I am not suggesting that you can. It is simply one tool in your leadership toolbox—but a very powerful one. Twitter is like an influence amplifier. It enables extend your influence in ways never before possible” …
Powerful description. I have never been able to formulate Twitters specific usefulness as clearly as you did here. Thanks!
Thanks Michael, this gives me a even deeper perpsective on Twitter. Thanks for adding value to my life.
Mac
You are welcome!
Excellent post!
You highlight the powerful value that a mass narrow-casting tool such as Twitter can have for those that subscribe to your stream. Employees crave for leaders to step out and talk about what is on their minds. Too often leaders are insulated from large portions of the organization and then wonder why there is a disconnect.
And as you say, it isn't just Twitter, its about adding Twitter to your toolbox.
BTW – If your focus is on staff only, then some of the private, enterprise microblogging tools may be more palatable.
There is no question your definition of leadership is spot on. I do think that Twitter is more than simply having influence though because if it is only about influence then there are millions of people fighting to have more influence. If that all Twitter is then I think it really just a self feeding service. It has to be more than just that, though there is a part of it that is that.
Isn't today Sunday? Aren't we all supposed to be in church? I don't know about the others, but I couldn't sleep, so I crawled out of bed early this morning. So there you have it. That's my excuse. :-)
Very interesting post, Mike. I'm new to your blog, but from what I've read so far, you put up some very informative, thought-provoking, helpful information. Thank you so much for being willing to take the time.
The thought of Twitter, however, gives me the twitters. Thinking about it makes me tired. It's deadened my desire to write. I think I'll go back to bed. Oh, but wait. It's almost time to leave for church. I can sleep there.
Actually, I'm finding Twitter to be a help in writing concisely. It's a challenge to put a thought into 140 characters. I also am finding the trending topics to be a place where I can jump in with statements about God's absolute love and provide a link to my blog. (Hey, that's free advertising!) With so many people involved in Twitter, who knows who will read my tweets and click on the link. As long as we remember Twitter is a tool and God is our life, we'll be fine.
Actually, I'm finding Twitter to be a help in writing concisely. It's a challenge to put a thought into 140 characters. I also am finding the trending topics to be a place where I can jump in with statements about God's absolute love and provide a link to my blog. (Hey, that's free advertising!) With so many people involved in Twitter, who knows who will read my tweets and click on the links. As long as we remember Twitter is a tool and God is our life, we'll be fine.
I agree with Patricia. I think that Twitter has actually helped my writing. By forcing me to be concise, I am more careful with each word.
As for Twittering, I'm afraid I'm with your friend (before he was so easily converted). I'm assuming several folks here are authors. I'm coming from the perspective of an author. I realize the importance of establishing platform these days, and after joining Facebook, Linkedin, learning to blog, setting up a website, joining countless writing groups, don't you think that's enough measures taken in establishing "leadership?" Honestly, I'm hardly interested in setting a goal to "establish leadership." I mean, who am I? Who cares what I ate for breakfast that morning, or what I might happen to be facing that day? What makes my experiences any more important than the next guy's? Besides all that, I'm first and foremost a writer. After plugging into all these social networks, when in the heck am I supposed to write?
I guess the answer to your question goes into our motives for writing. Since I took my first writing course around 1990, I have had the goal of writing a bestseller–you know, fame and fortune–and until this summer I periodically made the effort to put together book proposals and send them out with no success. But, there's been a change. After attending a writer's conference and participating in this blog, I have laid aside trying to write the bestseller (oh, what a relief!) and decided to take full advantage of social media to help people find out that God loves them and that His love is absolute. The door that social media provides is wide open and the audience is vast. I believe the key to being successful in this venue is to use it in a mode centered on others rather than centered on ourselves.
Excellent thoughts. Thank you, Patricia.
My motive? I have a story to tell. If that means only my kids get to read it, I'll be happy. But my ultimate goal is to reach the unsaved with my writing, and one of the ways to do that is to get published. I pray for God's will to be done, and so far He's opened doors. It's all in His hands. In the meantime, I just want to write, to dive into my characters, to tell their story. But networking and creating a huge platform, takes me away from that.
I see the benefits of getting some "free advertising" out of it. But . . . ugh. When will it ever be enough?
Just one more suggestion, Sandi. I'm sure all huge platforms began with baby steps. Maybe you should put most of your time in writing your story and just wade into the networking a little at a time. Nothing has to be done right now because the social media isn't going away–it'll there after you get your story down on paper. I have found that when I feel overwhelmed, if I ask God for help and take one step at a time, amazing things happen. And I also try to follow the wisdom God gave me many years ago when I was confused with all the advice I was receiving after our first child was born–Pray and then follow your heart.
Okay, okay! You all have convinced me. LOL I also went back and read some of the other comments on it. They were helpful. So, now I'm on Twitter. :-)
I like it. This is going to change HOW I twitter. Good word, Michael. Thanks for sharing.
I LOVE this post and completely agree…Twitter is an incredible tool if used correctly. It's not just about where you are and what you are doing, it's about making an impact on those in your twitter stream. Sometimes that is just simply being real and talking about your day, other times it about sharing resources, caring for others, and even being a light in a dark world. Thanks for your insight on this…I can't wait to share it with my pastoral team!
Melissa in Mel's World
Okay, okay. I'm convinced! I'm officially on Twitter! LOL Now, if I can just figure out how to post. Hmm….
I said somewhere on my blog that I believe “leadership is about how you share the being and doing that God has called you to.” And Twtitter is all about continually sharing bits of yourself and allowing another degree of interaction. I think the commenters who have hinted that the model you have outlined is too “impartational” may have missed how dialoguic and interactive Twitter really is. I agree that today’s readers don’t want simply to sit at the feet of the expert and take notes. The beauty of Twitter is that it puts that relationship onto a more reciprocal footing than ever before. So, I’m with you Mike! Here’s to Twitter!
Here's an interesting Twitter link from a tech standpoint (stunning and useful stats)
http://rohitbhargava.typepad.com/weblog/2009/07/1...
Cool–since I'm a geek, those stats were interesting!
Transparency is so critical to enhancing one's leadership. I've found Twitter to be a quick, simple and cheap way of increasing my transparency to the people in the church I serve in as well as the people of the community.
No doubt leadership tool number #1 and growing is Twitter, well for the leaders out there who care and are aware of course. Amazing what 140 can do these days..
This is awesome! I am fully invested in Twitter. Now I am on the lookout for creative and quality ways to be an evangelist for this excellent and evolving communication tool. This is another way that I will sound the horn for Twitter.
Thanks for your transparency and willingness to live in the cutting edge. Your role as a CEO of a highly recognized publishing company only heightens the way leaders can integrate social media into their lives and companies.
As a leader I see Twitter accomplishing a few things
… 'welcome to my world'
… value adding
… connection