Becoming a Digital Leader
One of the learning projects I am working focuses on digital leadership. It is a step up content the moment a person decided to become a digital influencer. Thankful for the opportunity to discuss the basics in a “League of Leaders” youth event yesterday.
Here were my talk points, reflecting on my own experience, and look forward shaping it up further in the days to come.
1. Share your passion. Use it to benefit others.
My passion on promoting e-commerce growth gave me the opportunity to connect with like-minded people. Communicating it consistently, through writings and projects, help generated buy-in or support in and outside of my inner circle.
2. Get loyal followers, fans, and customers.
Sustaining a project, advocacy, or business, requires resources. Instead of targeting everyone, identify an audience segment you would like to serve and build resources that is most useful for them. Demonstrate as well commitment beyond money.
Take time in getting to know your target audience, how they think, and best to communicate with them.
Sometimes, it can’t be helped that there will be politics along the way. Remember to choose your battles. There are times when it is just best to ignore and focus instead on people who benefit from your work. Don’t put so much of your time on doing things, that eats up on your resources, just to please your critics. More often than not, they don’t care.
3. Don’t be afraid to fail, quit, and start all over again.
Sometimes there are projects that won’t do well at the start. But along the way, as you keep on improving your craft, momentum will be gained. Keep calibrating it.
Some projects will get better each time while others won’t make any progress. Don’t fall in love with your ideas so obsessively to the point you can’t decide objectively.
One way to balance this is by attending events or joining groups where you can meet like-minded people, exchange ideas, share insights, and get or give inputs on endeavors. This will greatly help as well in improving your pitch, communicating your ideas to the public at large.
4. Build your digital influence
As John Maxwell said, “Leadership is influence. No more, no less.” It has to be done purposely meeting a need or provide solutions to problems.
Be friendly, real, connect to your target audience needs, and respond to concerns. Build positive rapport and sustain it.
There are many ways to influence people, stand out, and use the appropriate method depending on the situation.
Use blogs and social media to get your message across. LinkedIn is a great platform to use especially if you are a professional in writing and sharing your insights.
5. Use the “rebel” in you.
Aspiring leaders should not be afraid to transform, lead and think differently. This will be heavily influenced by the people we meet, experiences, and personal objectives. It can be a lonely journey at times especially when you don’t have anyone to talk to.
But having a personal process or routine can help you breakthrough on ideas, obstacles, and emotional challenges.
6. Have humility and control your “ego”.
Don’t let your victories, success, get to your head.
Stay away from people who tends to highly think of themselves than they ought to. Those who seem to enjoy intimidating others and using such behavior to lift themselves up.
Digital leaders need to learn humility early on. That what we do is about serving the community rather than our personal interest alone.
7. Learn seriously, document, acquire new insights, knowledge, and thinking processes
Being able to read, learn new stuff, and interact with others is something that I don’t get to do as much as I want to. But whenever the opportunity arises, blogging about those experiences helped me retain it.
That is why the articles I linked to here were my learnings from various authors and people through the years.
If you are part of a team, whether as leader or member, keep on improving yourself to become a much more productive contributor.
Take your team, dreams, ideas, and projects to victory and beyond!