“My old boss hated interacting with the staff,” a friend of mine recently told me. “He even bought a new coffee machine for his office just so he didn’t have to come into the kitchen and talk to us.”
Ouch.
Maybe the boss just craved caffeine? But how his team interpreted the move speaks volumes.
“My new boss is great,” my friend continued. “She cares about us. And, she’s often the first one to like our LinkedIn posts.”
Senior leaders have long had to balance managing a variety of stakeholders — from clients and partners, to vendors and employees. But in today’s digital-first, hybrid and remote work environment, there are new dynamics at play.
The term “management by wandering around” (MBWA) was popularized in the 1982 book “Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies” as a way for leaders to keep a finger on the pulse of activity and morale in their organizations. “Wandering” was intentionally used instead of “Walking” to describe the unplanned nature of interactions — more impromptu than scheduling a 15-minute Zoom check-in.
In the digital age, effective leadership transcends physical boundaries, requiring leaders to engage authentically online. Yes, in some cases, leading requires “liking.”
Perhaps today’s equivalent of MBWA should be “leadership by scrolling around.”
Whether responding with an emoji to an internal Slack message, or resharing a team member’s anniversary post on LinkedIn, technology has created modern-day watercoolers.
Some chief executives recognized this and have embraced a new role: chief influencer. There are several things we can learn from them:
Start in the center: You can’t have champions on the outside if you don’t have them on the inside. Focus your efforts on those who matter most —whether team members, donors, customers, or partners.
Steve Taylor, CEO of the Arthritis Foundation, opens up the LinkedIn app when he has downtime, sharing and commenting on employee milestones such as work anniversaries. The heartfelt
back-and-forth makes it seem like a great place to work.
But who has the time? Steve says he prioritizes these interactions because they create value for his organization. “It doesn’t have to be perfect. Sometimes there’s a typo — but they know it’s really me,” he said.
Embrace the gray: There is no bright line between our personal and professional brands today. But each leader must find their own voice and what’s comfortable for them.
Some CEOs like TIAA’s Thasunda Brown Duckett give followers a backstage pass to what it’s like to be a role model and business leader, while also sharing proud family moments. She’s amassed more than 100,000 followers across Instagram and LinkedIn as a result.
Other leaders, like Anthem Virginia President Monica Schmude, post what they are doing outside of their day job — in her case, serving as a trustee at Marymount University and board member of Leadership Greater Washington.
Learn the lingo: Just as we each master the vernacular and acronyms of our industry, there are a few things we need to learn about social platforms. On LinkedIn, the difference between mentions (@) and hashtags (#) is key. But don’t worry – I promise it’s easier than the specialized terms you use every day at work.
Careerstone Group President Mary Abbajay is intentional about which hashtags she uses, such as #culture, which has more than 4 million followers.
Share the stage: It’s natural for most people to worry about being too self-promotional. Effective leaders elevate others. They mention them in LinkedIn posts (don’t forget that @ sign to tag the right person) and comment on others’ milestones 10 times for every original post they share.
If you follow Business Journal Publisher Alex Orfinger, you may notice how often he highlights award-winners and group events. He makes the story about them, not him. Alex also extended LinkedIn training to his team so that they can build up their own personal brands.
Go for growth: It can be overwhelming to look around and see what your peers are doing – book launches, TV spots, TikTok followers. Instead, take stock of your own goals and the steps you can take to move toward them.
Mehlman Consulting CEO and go-to policy expert Bruce Mehlman started sharing research with his clients quarterly. His report regularly receives 40,000 to 50,000 downloads and recently migrated to Substack. It’s impressive to see the audience he’s built — but don’t forget, it happened one step at a time.
Whether you already lead an organization or aspire to, our community is filled with examples of chief influencers who demonstrate how to show up in today’s new workplace.
Now that’s something to like.
