It’s a leadership thing?
Supposedly what’s happening on Twitter and Facebook is a new leadership thing …
Several leaders have developed a platform of many thousands of followers on Twitter and Facebook, and recently started dumping the majority of them, choosing to “follow” or “friend” just a small portion of those they got to “follow” and “friend” them.
It appears some of these leaders were more interested in developing a platform from which they can be listened to, rather than one requiring so much real interaction. It’s taking the “social” part out of their “social media.”
That’s not “leadership.”
Leading people requires more than being in front of people, but being among them as well. The shepherd cannot shepherd his flock from his easy chair, but only from the field where the sheep are. He has to be among them.
But some see leadership as only a platform from which their words should be powerful enough influence that their presence and interaction isn’t necessary.
Not even the Holy Spirit leads that way. He lives in us!
It’s one thing to have a momentary profound moment with someone by sharing a thought. That can be done from a platform. But to take people deep, and make a life changing impact, you usually have to get in among them, interact, and be one of them.
Scotty
October 17, 2011 at 1:12 am
Yes!
Like you said so well, truly humble leaders are among and not just "in front of".
Again, thank you for posting this.
October 17, 2011 at 10:40 pm
What I find frustrating, and even a little hypocritical, is several of these "leaders" had some of the loudest voices about the value/need of using social media and preaching that social media was to be "social" … before they made it just media for themselves. They're also some of the loudest and most constant voices on the subject of "leadership," yet they're willing to talk to people rather than engage them. Truly excellent, godly leadership is such a hard thing to find today!