I typically stay off social media because it eats up time and primarily use it for business purposes, but I recently did something out of character for me. My wife encouraged me to share with people about my new book When I Am Afraid on Facebook. She understands all that better than me, so I listened to her.
I was blown away.
I try to be sensitive about my faith and don’t want anyone to feel forced to believe what I believe or be that “pushy” guy. This book is impacted by my faith and I shared in my post a little about my entrepreneurial journey from fear to trust. Usually I only hear about the negative aspects of certain social media platforms, but this caused me to experience the positive power of social media in a unique way.
Caring
After I made my post many friends commented and congratulated me. These were people I know and have interacted with not just “friends.” I must confess I did not expect the outpouring of encouragement. (I think I learned though that much of the world must be on Facebook on Sunday night at around 8:45 PM EST.) This was encouraging because I knew they were genuinely happy for me amidst being afraid to share.
Connecting
While in the middle of this experience I also connected with a man from India who is doing great work for people in that country. While responding to the encouraging replies of friends, I also was getting to know a man who serves women and children with HIV in India. In the middle of this I was realizing the power social media has to create an environment to connect with people across the world in a way I never thought.
Community
A friend of mine saw the post and asked me to share it on his private group page. Once I figured out how to join the group and share my original post, I experienced the power of community. My friend has been building this community for a year or more and this small group gathered around and helped support our family.
As part of sharing about this book my wife and I are offering it as a gift to anyone who gives $50 or more to support our family trip to Mexico to build a couple homes. This is what my friend got excited about. He rallied his tribe to help get momentum to raise money for this family adventure.
Now I am still not a huge fan of social media because of the amount of time I can potentially waste, but I now see more clearly the positive power it provides. What does all this have to do with leadership though?
If leadership is influence, then anytime we are sharing on social media we are potentially influencing somebody so the question is are we using this tool to add value to others or take it away? As leaders let’s add value to others and create momentum for good with these platforms. When we do, we can create positive transformation and, in the process, live out leading well. If you utilize social media, what is one way you can use it today to add value to the world? Share below. Lead Well.
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