3 Q’s to ask yourself
As a leader in your field when the internet is on fire & you need to post something
I was on the phone with a friend/ client/ colleague & we were deep in discussion about the past week's events. We were talking about how to be leaders in our field, while addressing controversial & relevant topics. He rattled off 3 questions to ask himself when he is posting about challenging topics, and I immediately wrote them down to share with you.
But before I get into them I want to address something.
When you are talking to your audience as a leader, they are looking to you for answers. They are also looking for authenticity.
What does that mean exactly?
Well, it's obviously going to be a little different for everyone, but they want you to guide them and they don't want you to be tone deaf when you are doing it.
This week I shared some posts in my IG stories (because that is my primary outward facing stage) that authentically and vulnerably shared my perspective on the events of the week.
Here is what I didn't say:
I did not share my political beliefs
I did not condemn or approve
I did not tell people how to act or react
Here's what I did say:
I shared why I don't openly share my political beliefs
I shared about what I see as the industry of division & cautioned people to be aware of what they were consuming & perpetuating
I shared that I was sad & why I was sad
Why?
Because I strive to be authentic, to make my world a haven for the nervous system while also being a place of focus. However, I am not one to completely stick my head in the sand.
My clients were all feeling it, my audience was all feeling it, and so was I. So I intentionally decided to not pretend the internet wasn't on fire. But I also wasn't going to add to the fire.
I saw this post by a marketing expert that said:
Client's don't invest in your pain, they invest in your power to guide them through theirs.
Technically this was about oversharing personal stories in an effort to make sales (please don't do that). But I thought it really applies this and any future events that we will live through.
I used to be the react and repost kinda girl. You know how it goes: you see some click-baity post about how fucked up something is and boom, repost to stories, wipe you hands of that because now you have done your part and move on.
But you know what that signals to your audience? You don't know how to guide them through their pains.
It doesn't mean you have to pretend that nothing bothers you or you don't stand for certain things. It just means you need to do it as a leader with intention.
Will you always get it right? No. I certainly don't. But I do have a much stricter code of conduct for myself when it comes to my public stage. (Plus, as it turns out, I was wrong about so many of my beliefs that I used to be staunch and vocal about.)
So back to the 3 questions to ask yourself when you are sharing anything in a public forum:
Does it need to be said?
Does it need to be said by me?
Does it need to be said by me right now?
If the answer is yes, move forward with confidence. If not, ask yourself is this what is best for my audience, and if not, put your phone down and go for a walk.
