"World events with their rapid change are overwhelming many company managers. Companies are increasingly going on the defensive. That is dangerous," was recently published in the South German Newspaper to read. Digital companies are stirring up the market; free global trade is under threat; SMEs are desperately seeking skilled workers - the problems are increasing exponentially. So while times have indeed become tougher on the management floors and many feel like they are being driven, waiting and putting things off can make the situation much worse. But how can one create the necessary freedom, especially in this situation, to be able to decide and implement again? My thesis: The opportunity for liberation lies in digital and personal communication, by occupying one's own topic, making one's position transparent, taking advantage of ongoing feedback and also participating in critical discussions. This is where digitization is a real door opener: social media and networks reinforce the role of the CEO and managing director as the company's chief spokesperson. Used skilfully, they multiply the effect: they give you the opportunity to communicate directly with your network, unfiltered, with unlimited reach outwards to customers and also to your own employees.

"Transparency doesn't mean sharing every detail. Transparency means always providing the context for our decisions."

Simon Sinek

The key is through your social media channels. Create an inclusive and welcoming environmentThis is not only rewarded with a higher number of followers, but they also feel comfortable to take up the conversation and make positive contributions to your company. To put it a bit more provocatively, we can say: For the foreseeable future, every CEO and managing director must be active on social media in order not to lose out in digitization, because: If you don't tweet, you lose!

Creating something new with digital communication

This has to do with the fact that communication as a whole has changed. Platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn have long since proven that they are powerful tools: They help President to come into office (Donald Trump), Taking responsibility for big issues (Joe Kaeser) and new, also crazy Turning visions into reality (Elon Musk). 

Nevertheless, skepticism prevails in many companies. In many meetings, the so-called "Idea Killer" the sayThey are concerned that experimenting with new things is not efficient and that the potential for failure and being laughed at is too great. I myself have encountered them more than once when it came to introducing social media activities in larger companies. This sometimes sounded like this: "Go ahead and do it. However, if you see even my first post on a social channel, you can be sure that someone hacked my account." Or: "But that's going too far for me now. We don't want employees to use social media for self-promotion at company expense."

Communicating makes you successful!

On the other hand, it is clear: Companies that do not communicate today will disappear from the market. This is even more true for the peoplewho stand behind the companies and give them a face. They forgive the potential that lies in simply doing things that are successful. Or experimenting with approaches that are still considered premature. Because the VUCA world is characterized by exponential developments. And when you realize quite obviously that the world has turned around you, it is already too late to take countermeasures.

The same applies to managing directors and CEOs: Those who communicate actively and take part in the discussion retain a feel for the market, for customers and employees. Social media, along with face-to-face communication, is the most direct way to stay in touch with stakeholders.

Storytelling, digital

The path to new ideas and successful business models goes via Storytelling. What does that mean in concrete terms? It's about getting a picture of what's going to happen in the next five years that will define their business and their lives - and then count back what it takes to help shape the way there. Hasn't that always been the case? Right, what makes an interesting story, this has not changed. The platforms through which this communication takes place, however, have. Today, it is no longer enough to look at how to get into the newspaper with a press release. Instead, you have to tell the stories in such a way that they are already visible when the smartphone is switched on.  

Customers and employees only read what they WANT to read

So what does it actually depend on if you want to be successful as an entrepreneur in social networks? From my point of view five things that count for digital presence:

1. take responsibility

All organizations are undergoing digital transformation. This has social consequences with effects on the company, its customers and employees. In order to build trust and create acceptance, the CEO should not avoid this discussion. On the contrary, he must actively participate, make his position clear and present the concrete contribution of his company., even in the local environment.

This requires openness. The position of avoiding political discussions is no longer tenable, even for executives. Managers - whether it's the CEO or a department head - bear responsibility for their companies, but also for society. A functioning company is necessary to be able to do business and to do justice to customers and employees. This has long been the view of major investors such as BlackRock CEO Larry Finck, who in its annual CEO Letter "Purpose & Profit". for several years in a row now and prioritizes it equally highly as a corporate goal. Courage is rewarded in the long run, which is also what Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser said after his tweet "I'd rather have a headscarf girl than a Bund Deutscher Mädel". has noticed. Alone at first, numerous other CEOs have joined in and taken up political stances against populism - both online and offline.

2. find its subject

Helping to shape and accompany digital transformation is what is expected of a CEO. The prerequisite for this is to find one's own topic that combines one's own fascination and motivation with a concrete customer benefit. You should pursue this theme in the sense of your own vision for the very long term, combined with a motto that you personally stand for as a company leader and executive. According to the renowned Forbes magazine, what customers and employees expect today are explanations of business decisions, trends in your industry and insights into your company. This sounds ambitious, but it also works for small companies and even in the skilled trades.

Matthias Schulze, managing director of the Heyse painting company from Hanover, sees it this way: "Currently, the biggest challenge facing most CEOs of mid-sized companies is finding skilled workers and training new experts." For him, the solution was to "change the framework for everyone, break down structures and reshape the future." This includes not only the use of social media, but also the willingness to reorganize the company around itself and to deal with how motivation develops in people. With this mindset, Schulze managed to be invited directly to Microsoft as a speaker via a podcast interview, thereby exponentially increasing his visibility and tapping into new customer potential.

3. swimming against the current

Already show some CEOs and managing directors, That you can hold your own - and yes, even expand your position - even after crises and changes in social media. For example, one question that is always room: What happens when the manager changes? Does that bring anything at all to the company then?

One of the first to appear as a social CEO in Germany is ex-Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann. He also says today, after his move to the startup Evelozcity: "Withdrawing from social media is not an option." Further, hardly any German manager has a larger digital following than Neumann. Alone on Twitter about 17,000 people follow him. On LinkedIn, more than 40,000 users have subscribed to his channel. His theme of commenting on trends in e-mobility has remained even after the change of company. Both companies, Opel and Evelozcity, benefit.

Another example of why swimming against the tide works just digitally: Many preach the company's internal social networks as a safe haven for open communication. However, practice shows that today, externally open platforms such as LinkedIn and Xing are also more attractive to their own employees than the respective internal network. At Siemens, around 275,000 of the 380,000 employees worldwide have a presence on LinkedIn as of June 2019 - a number the internal social network is far from reaching. Therefore applies: Use LinkedIn and Twitter to send messages inward to employees, too! In times of digital transparency, the story should inspire customers and employees alike anyway.

4. mixing personal

"People follow people"; Cisco said many years ago. This has been further reinforced by social media: Digital communication is always personal communication as well. It therefore helps enormously not only to remain on the business level, but also to show your personal side in a defined area. This starts with documenting simple experiences that happen on a business trip, for example. A photo on the way to a customer appointment counts just as much as current observations during a train ride. The motto is "Tell what's happening" - immerse yourself in the micro level of how the digital transformation feels in your daily routine.

That for this with pleasure also a portion of humor This is exemplified by the former Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche with his long since cult-like Christmas videos. Another form of personality brings Maximilian Viessmann who brings personal insights into the corporate culture and the real and fictitious exchange with his family members. Therefore, dare to bring in your own personal style!

5. focus

Now we come to the main problem of every manager and CEO: Lack of time. Everyone is permanently busy and, reinforced by smartphones, permanently in the role of the driven. This is also considered one of the main barriers to CEOs not wanting to proactively engage with social media: "Then don't I have to constantly look at relevant apps? I can't manage that on top of everything else!"

"Do first things first and second things not at all."

Peter Drucker

You don't have to have the LinkedIn or Twitter app open all the time to be successful there. Nevertheless, top managers like Dieter Zetsche now invest up to 30 percent of their time in communication, both offline and online, with customers and employees. Especially the busiest people in the world, such as the President of the United States of America, invest time in their social channels - and this has not just been the case since Donald Trump. They do it quite simply because they have recognized that communication helps to solve their problems - whatever they may be in individual cases. Participating in communication is therefore a decision that everyone must make for themselves: Make communication your First Thing! And simply invest 10-15 minutes of your time on a regular basis, which you would otherwise have spent in inefficient meetings. This way you will get into the flow, implement your long-term strategy step by step, and it will work wonders over time!

Just get started?

As with many other things in life, the same principle applies here: Start before you are ready! Experiment, find the important people you want to network with, and use the feedback you get to keep improving.

Lack of experience and the feeling of facing a large public for the first time can definitely be a hurdlethat remains before you now open your new account on Twitter. I have noticed this with numerous CEOs and executives that I have supported myself in the company as well as in my consulting practice. It's absolutely understandable, especially if you haven't been active on social platforms at all until now. If you have a appropriate abbreviation and a customized cooperation look for, take gladly Contact on.

I look forward to your feedback on this post. Feel free to share your experience in the comments, thank you!