In October 2015, I had
the pleasure of being the
Duvall Leader in Residence at the University
of Kentucky’s Center for Leadership Development (CFLD), part
of UK’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, in
Lexington. My visit was sponsored by the W. Norris Duvall
Leadership Endowment Fund and the CFLD, and focused on leadership
development and community development and engagement as both
relate to the use of online media. It was a fantastic experience!
Among the many workshops, classes and consultations I was asked to
create and then present in my week in Lexington was one on leadership
online: not on how to lead a team on a project but, rather,
how a person can build and demonstrate leadership and expertise
online, and become an influencer regarding a particular topic
related to nonprofits, NGOs, charities, community issues, etc. How
do you cultivate a profile online that builds your credibility and
reputation in a particular field or regarding a particular subject
matter?
That presentation in Kentucky was one of the hardest
presentations I have ever created in my decades of being asked to
create trainings, but it turned out to be one of the most
interesting of that entire energizing, challenging week, and I
couldn't let go of the conversations about it. Hence why I now
have this page on my web site about this subject and why I
continue to be interested in such.
To me, leaders are looked to for advice, direction,
knowledge and opinions on specific subjects, and leaders influence
the thinking of others. This is true offline as well as online.
Online leaders engage online - they don't just post
information or their own thoughts: they discuss, they acknowledge
reactions and feedback, they even debate others, respectfully.
Online leaders aren't measured by how many followers they have on
a social media account; rather, they are measure by how often
their opinion is sought out by others, how often they are quoted
both online and offline, and if they are influencing others in
their particular field of expertise or focus. In
addition, one viral message, or one very popular blog, doesn't
indicate a person's leadership online. Rather, it's a body of work
and activities online, and how often that work gets referenced by
others.
In my presentation at
U of K, I emphasized that there's a difference in advertising or
promoting versus influencing, or leading, online, though there is
most certainly a lot of crossover. Advertising and self-promotion
is certainly necessary: people need to know who you are, what your
work is, when you will be speaking, what your nonprofit, NGO or
charity is doing, etc. But such mission-based organizations also
need to strategize on how they their executive director or
executive leadership will influence people online, how this person
or these people will LEAD online, how that person will guide and
inspire others to new understanding, new ways of thinking, even
changes in behavior. A nonprofit or government initiative has a
mission, and its online activities need to educate people about
that mission, create excitement about it, show how it is
relevant/vital, and position themselves as key players in
addressing issues related to that mission, and that takes online
leadership.
I broke it down this way, and I still do:
ADVERTISING: Announcing the dates and times of events, start dates
and fees for new programs, deadlines, fundraising needs, etc.
INFLUENCING: Build awareness regarding a cause, offering messages
and sharing information that could change minds, commenting on
legislation, national or local news, asking questions, etc. in
such a way as to position an organization or a person as a key
player in addressing that issue.
And to be an online
leader, you need a mix of both.
How people influence online
People that influence other people online undertake a number of
activities to establish themselves, including:
- asking questions or offering perspectives in the online
comments section below a newspaper article online or a blog.
- posting on their own Facebook page as well as those of
other thought leaders, nonprofits, government initiatives,
university programs, activists, etc., as well as Facebook
online discussion groups. They start
discussions, participate in those started by others, ask
questions, comment, share info, etc.
- tweeting, responding to tweets, participating in tweet
chats, creating Twitter lists that others find valuable enough
to follow as well.
- blogging.
- participating in online discussions via LinkedIn, Reddit
and other online communities.
- posting videos on YouTube or Vimeo, and asking questions or
offering perspectives in the comments sections of these sites
on other videos.
- using other online tools to offer advice, express opinions,
ask questions, etc., such Instagram, Tik Tok, etc.
- posting valuable, helpful, relevant, even provocative
information or comments online regularly.
- talking offline about what is happening online.
Leaders
online aren't just sharing information and opinion through
their own social media profiles, via their own online spaces;
they are also doing so on other people and organization's
online spaces, in a way that is helpful, that moves a
conversation forward, that informs, that is relevant, etc.
Which leads us to...
Qualities of online leaders
The aforementioned noted where and how influencers post online.
But what content do they post? A leader (not an intern, not an
assistant):
- provides relevant, even vital, content or perspective
related to the subject with which that person wants to be
identified.
- asks questions that spur thought and discussion.
- compliments and thanks others for relevant information or
helpful questions.
- confronts, even debates, in a respectful (not insulting,
but can be forceful) manner.
- provides content in a way that's particularly accessible
(for instance, it's FUNNY/entertaining, it eschews jargon, it
relates to current events or leverages a current cultural
trend, etc.)
- is consistently truthful and credible.
- addresses online criticism promptly, honestly, sincerely.
- shows that he or she is listening to what others say
online.
- responds quickly to questions or replies to their comments.
- talks openly online about what is NOT working at a program
with which he or she is involved, challenges, etc.
- acknowledging that they have changed their mind.
- altogether produces content that is primarily focused on the
mission of whatever program he or she is affiliated, rather
than content that is negative or insulting. Even someone
leading a program focused on something confrontational -
increased taxes on the wealthy, stopping racism within and
brutality by the police, rooting out corruption in local
government, etc. - can do so in a way that is focused on the
justice and benefits of doing so for the entire community and
for marginalized people.
It's worth saying
again: leaders online share info that is helpful, that moves a
conversation forward, that informs, that is relevant, etc. They
can be critical, they can question, but they also acknowledge
quality information by others and they give credit for ideas or
opinions that have come from others.
The comment about using humor proved
controversial during my discussion in Kentucky. An attendee said
humor was best avoided, particularly in multi-cultural settings,
because it could be misinterpreted. I just couldn't disagree more;
while not every joke is universal, humor most certainly is. Humor
has been vital in my success at
working
abroad. Indeed, knowing your audience and its culture is
vital, and humor shouldn't be entered into without careful
thought; but to avoid humor is to avoid one of the best ways to
connect on a very human level.
Examples of Leadership Online
There are a LOT of people that, through their online activities,
influence my work and my thinking. I had a different list in 2015
- here is my list now, as of October 2020, of
some of the
people that I believe are leaders online, that do most or all of
the aforementioned. I like to look at the replies to their tweets
when I see there are several, to see how they handle challenges to
what they have written:
- Danah Boyd, @zephoria
A "sociotechnical researcher," part of the Data and Society
division at Microsoft Research.
- Timothy Caulfield, @CaulfieldTim
Professor of health law and science policy, an expert on
health misinformation and a strong fighter against such.
- Vu Le, @NonprofitAF
Former Execuctive Director at RVCSeattle.org, now one of the
most important critical voices regarding ethics in fundraising
- frequently speaks out about unfair, inappropriate
fundraising practices by foundations and corporations.
- Mignon Clyburn, @MignonClyburn
The former FCC Commissioner, SCPSC Chair & Commissioner.
One of the best things she did at the FCC was have a day where
she and all staff relied completely on their smart phones to
do their work, access their email, etc., just as millions
around the globe without broadband access or laptops or desk
tops must do.
- Madam Frogh, @FroghWazhma
A human rights activist and peace & conflict practitioner
from Afghanistan. "Taleban might be making headway’s on the
battle fields by killing more Afghans but our people are
winners because despite being attacked & killed, they go
to football matches to watch their children play."
- Tobias Denskus, @aidnography
Senior Lecturer Communication for Development, Malmo
University, Sweden, frequent commentator on ethics in aid and
humanitarian work.
- Nicolas Steenhout, @vavroom
Speaker, trainer and consultant on web accessibility,
inclusion and disability. He's the host of the @A11yRules
podcast.
- Rob Jackson, @RobJConsulting
Speaker, trainer and consultant regarding volunteer
management, based in the UK. His commentary in his newsletters
is often provocative and provides a much needed critical voice
about policies affecting volunteer engagement.
- Hind Makki, @HindMakki
Funny, insightful, engaging. She's an interfaith educator with
a degree in International Relations from Brown University and
she always has something worthwhile or funny to say.
- Ethan Zuckerman, @EthanZ
Center for Civic Media, MIT Media Lab, Global Voices, Berkman
Center. He provides good insight into global trends in online
communication and critical views regarding social media
companies.
- Angry Staff Officer, @pptsapper
Someone in the US Army who tweets amazing items about history,
about the qualities of good and bad management, about his own
insights into whatever and many funny things.
These are some of people that have
influenced me and my work in a number of ways, that I feel
compelled to seek out and read regularly, and that often change
the way I'm thinking about a particular topic, and they influence
me mostly through their online activities. Your list of leaders
online will be different. My list of leaders will probably be
different in a year.
Media Monitoring
A key to leadership online is knowing what people are saying about
you and your organization online, and responding appropriately, as
well as knowing what is being said about a particular topic. The
Internet makes finding this out super easy. For instance, you can
use
GoogleAlerts
or a similar tool to track what is being said about you, your
organization, subjects that are most important to you, etc. Also,
ask your volunteers, staff and others to let you know, as a
courtesy, what's being said. I have
a
detailed guide about media monitoring here.
I take time at least three times a week to read Twitter for at
least 30 minutes at a time. I read through the tweets of those I
follow, and I pick at least one of
my
lists to review. I don't wait for time to do this; I make
the time to do it.
I have a variety of
online
discussion groups devoted to topics in which I am most
interested. that I make time to read, to share information
on, to start discussions on and to respond to content by others.
Overcoming Intimidation (real &
imagined)
There's a reason many people, particularly women, are reluctant
to attempt to lead, online or off: the Tall Poppy
Syndrome. People talking about an accomplishment or offering
advice based on their experience can be seen as bragging, and many
feel that when a tall flower is "bragging," it has to be cut down
to the same size as all the others - or even shorter. The phrase
is particularly popular in Australia, though some people say it
isn’t success that offends Australians but, rather, someone that
acts superior. Regardless, in many places, a woman saying anything
on social media is seen as bragging, as acting "superior" – and
she becomes a target for her “tall” reputation being cut down,
with over-the-top criticisms and insults.
There's also the Dunning-Kruger
effect, a cognitive bias in which people wrongly overestimate
their knowledge or ability in a specific area because their lack
of self-awareness that prevents them from accurately
assessing their own skills. There are people who doubt their
abilities and knowledge, strong though those abilities and
knowledge might be, to the point that they may be afraid that they
actually have the Dunning-Kruger effect and
are over-estimating their own abilities - they may have a fear
that they are an imposter regarding their knowledge and abilities.
It's a vicious self-defeating cycle - trying to be confident but
being terrified of being accused of being an imposter, and it's
one that women in particular experience.
And there's also the fear of making a
mistake: of saying something without realizing it's inappropriate,
or saying something inaccurate and being corrected.
It would be horrible if women were so
upset at the thought of being harassed, and so scared of being
accused harassment, defamation, libel, slander and even blasphemy,
that they were afraid to say anything, including opinions and
criticisms and even questions. But that is, indeed, what is
happening, particularly with women.
Research tells us that
women may be left with little option but to resocialize
their own values or suitably
self-govern their online presence to live within
hyper-visible lakshman-rekhas
(lines of propriety
in women’s conduct that must not be crossed) of performative
online modesty. Misogyny in digital spaces directly impacts
women’s rights with consequences for their physical,
emotional, mental,
economic, reputational, and aspirational lives...
digital spaces proliferate subterranean male networks and
‘bro clubs’ that are always ready to strike... Cyberspace
has thus engendered a new masculine that terrorizes women if
they dare to assert their public selves. This targeted hate
against women impacts the inclusiveness of the online public
sphere through the chilling effect it creates for women’s
public participation. -- from "
Articulating
a Feminist Response to Online Hate Speech: First Steps",
from
Bot Populi, October
9, 2020.
For those who are active online, even if
you think your subject matter is completely benign - blogging
about ethics in volunteer engagement, or model trains, or the
importance of tree planting, or changes in the Girl Scouts of
the USA programming, or kitschy Christmas decorations, whatever
- you could be the target of online harassment and accusations
of defamation, and even a lawsuit. And unlike what we've all
been taught in movies, being truthful is NOT an automatic
slam-dunk defense against a defamation suit.
In the article Cyber
Safe Girl: How Not to Write a Cyber Safety e-Book, R
Vaishno Bharati critiques a cyber safety e-booklet titled Cyber
Safe Girl – Beti Bachao, Cyber Crime Se 3.0 that was written by
a well-meaning cyber security expert and professor at the
Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management and credits
numerous IPS (Indian Police Service) and KSPS (Karnataka State
Police Service) officers for their inputs. The author notes that
the e-booklet:
uses the reductive albeit common
patriarchal trope of framing women’s safety in terms of their
relationships within the family, their identities constructed
and understood in relation to the people around them.
Furthermore, its messaging seems to be directed as much at
family members — parents or guardians — who are purportedly
responsible for the protection of their daughters, as women
themselves. This is particularly notable given that the book
credits a group of predominantly male police officers, thus
foregrounding a male perspective on women’s safety while
largely ignoring women’s voices and their lived experiences.
In addition, the title of the book patronizingly uses the term
‘girl’ despite featuring sketches that include women of all
ages. In fact, it does not address cyber safety issues
experienced by children at all.
another comment:
Many of the incidents mentioned
in the book are not specific to women, and yet, the book seems
to suggest that women need to take additional precautions to
make themselves safe when accessing online spaces. This is not
to say that women do not experience cybercrimes or a
disproportionately more hostile online space on account of
their gender and other intersecting social identities.
However, some of the solutions offered by the book — such as
installing and updating anti-virus software, creating strong
passwords, and being wary of phishing emails and messages —
are practices that all internet users need to be aware of,
regardless of their gender identity.
and
The book presents steps and
measures that women can take in order to avoid being in
situations that lead to gender-based violence, harassment,
trolling etc. The sketches warn women of the dangers of
cyberspace, making the predominant tone of the book not one of
empowerment but of fear and danger. It equates safety with
caution — women will be safe if they do not put themselves in
unsafe situations — and places the onus of safety, through
self-policing, on women themselves. By calling people to
action with its subtitle of ‘save the daughter’, the safety
manual enlists families into this act of policing, thus
adapting the patriarchal control and surveillance of women’s
bodies in offline spaces for the digital age.
And one more excerpt:
the book’s narrative of
fear and danger can significantly discourage women from
using the internet, especially those who are new users of
information and communication technologies (ICTs). In a
country like India, where girls and women often find their
access to digital spaces already restricted, the narrative
of fear would spread faster than the access to technology.
The critique of this booklet was published online at from
Bot Populi.
When I talk to women who fear trying
to lead, online or off, it's one or all of these aforementioned
factors that hold them back.
My advice
- Follow people on social media that you identify as leaders and
be conscious of what they say and do that causes you see them as
leaders and try to emulate that, including how they handle
critics. I've learned a lot from watching how people like Chris
Klewe (@ChrisWarcraft),
JohnFugelsang (@JohnFugelsang)
and Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady)
handle their "haters."
- Every time you post to social media, do your best to come from a
place of sincerity and honesty and trying to be helpful. Even in
promoting yourself - a speaking engagement, a new publication you
have written, a new video, etc. - remember that you are posting it
to be helpful, that there are people that WANT that information,
and they appreciate your sincerity and honesty and information
sharing, even if they don't like your posts every single time.
- When someone responds and you feel criticized, explore carefully
the motivations of the person speaking. Are they someone that is
respected in their field and, therefore, their criticism is
something you might consider? If they are disagreeing with you, is
that okay - can you just simply live with this person disagreeing
with your opinions? Is it a misunderstanding and you just need to
explain a bit more? Or is this person a troll that spends an
inordinate amount of time criticizing and insulting others, is
this a person that has an online profile that is full of a great
deal of negativity and name-calling and outrage? In all but that
last circumstance, you might want to respond and engage with the
person. But in the last - do not respond, as it won't lead to
anything but more insults. See How
to Handle Online Criticism for more detailed
guidance.
- Every person on earth makes mistake. You will make mistakes
online and off. When someone says you've made a mistake, evaluate
what you said and decide if, indeed, it was a mistake. If it was,
apologize. If it wasn't, it's okay to say you don't feel that it
was, it's okay to defend your position. But don't let the fear of
making a mistake keep you from posting online. Have a look at Handling
a social media faux pax. And, again, see How
to Handle Online Criticism.
- You got online for a reason: you are representing a nonprofit
organization, an NGO, a charity, a government program, a cause -
you are representing a mission, or the interests of mission-based
organizations, and you feel you have something worth sharing.
Being involved in the third sector means you are a caring person
that wants to make a difference, to do good, to help people or the
environment. You are engaging online with the best of intentions,
and if the majority of your posts reflect that, you deserve to
take up space in cyber space. Please
take up that space - you deserve to be here.
Regarding these subjects in
particular, here are more resources you might want to review:
A work in progress
All pages on my web site are a work in progress, including this one.
They evolve over time with new/changed information.
Also see:
- The Difference
in Email, Social Media & Online Communities: A Graphic
Explanation.
It can be difficult for people to understand the difference in
email, in social media and in online communities, especially
since email can be used to create an online community, or social
media can be used to create an online community (Facebook
Groups, for instance). And they all are people sending messages
to people - so what, really, is the difference? This is my
attempt to graphically show the difference, but I'll still have
to use words to more fully explain what I mean. All three of
these avenues for online communication can intersect. But one
online avenue of online communication may be a better avenue for
a communication goal than another - this resource examines that
as well.
- How to Handle Online
Criticism
Online criticism of your organization, even by its own
supporters, is inevitable. In fact, your nonprofit is probably
going to be criticized on other people's blogs, Facebook
profiles, etc. You can't prevent it, but you can be prepared to
respond to such in a timely manner, in a way that could increase
your credibility with key audiences.
- Why
Every Staff Person Should Regularly Read At Least One Online
Discussion Group
Each and every employee of your mission-based organization
should be a part of at least one online discussion group, and
subscribe to at least one email newsletter, relating to their
job. Why? It offers a simple, easy way to get employees
connected to important news and resources they need in their
jobs, It's professional development right from their desktops!.
- Virtue
& reputation in the developing world
A caution to humanitarian and development workers wanting NGOs
and government agencies to engage more on social media; you need
to provide guidance for the women who would be expected to
manage online activities on how to stay safe and protect their
personal reputations. For them, online activities can be a
matter of life and death.
- The dynamics of online culture
& community
Working with people online means building trust and
communicating clearly and regularly.
- Cultivating Online Civility
When I began writing about online culture, back in the late
1990s, misinformation was at a minimum and easy to identify, and
hateful trolls were oh-so-quickly banned from online
communities. Now, hate and misinformation rage online, and not
just among strangers - neighbors are raging against each other
on local online communities. Can online civility be restored? Is
it possible to challenge misinformation and destructive speech
in the strongest, most deliberate of terms without being accused
of hate speech yourself? This page links to efforts focused on
online civility - most of these efforts are not by me, BTW.