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Why Social Media Wastes Leaders Time

They called it the Snowpocalypse. When the East Coast was slammed by a massive storm this past winter, Newark Mayor Cory Booker hit the streets, coming to the aid of stranded residents and literally shoveling out a transit bus. But tales of his derring-do weren’t just transmitted by the media or word of mouth. The tech-savvy mayor also blasted out news of his exploits and engaged directly with constituents via Twitter, earning widespread plaudits.
Many respected observers argue that every executive should have a Booker-style “personal social media strategy.” Indeed, it’s almost malpractice not to use Google Alerts so you can monitor what’s being said about you online, and there’s no question that corporations need social media strategies in place to respond to customer complaints, build a brand identity, and perhaps capture some “viral” magic. But how much time should executives personally devote to feeding the gaping maw of social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, and more), as compared to other pressing duties?
When Massachusetts sought to boost its economy in the 1990s, then-Governor Bill Weld led an Asian excursion that helped a small Bay State company land a deal with Samsung; a later trip to Israel (including a sit-down with the nation’s finance minister) helped push through a tax code change needed by a local venture capital firm. Why trek across the world for meeting? “If the governor’s there, along with some elected officials, it really impresses folks,” former Massachusetts State Senator Brian Lees told the Boston Globe.
In other words — whether in politics or business — leaders’ very presence is a powerful force that can generate real impact. So how should top execs spend their time? By using their interpersonal skills — and the power of their office — to focus their time and energy on the people who matter (a shifting array of customers, key employees, the media, or others, depending on the company’s needs). Even before becoming President, Bill Clinton was famed, as a New York Times Magazine profile reported, for “making eye contact so deep that recipients sometimes seem mesmerized.” That’s a powerful skill that simply can’t be replicated on a blog or with a status update. The higher an executive rises in the hierarchy, the more inaccessible they generally are.

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