Top managers suffer social syndrome between visibility and risk

Crushed by social pressure(s). That must have been how Apple CEO Tim Cook felt a few days ago. 'Just imagine all that he can create,' Cook wrote on his social profiles, relaunching the campaign linked to the new iPad Pro that reached 60 million views on X in just a few hours. But as time goes by, that video - in just over a minute, a giant press destroys objects of all kinds to compress them into the new tablet - turns out to be a boomerang. Thus comes the apology. Putting one's face on, but also losing it. This is what happens to even the most seasoned business leaders in this time accelerated by social streams. Yet how important it is to be there. "Successful leaders will no longer be measured solely by the value of a single action. In the future, knowing how to manage and communicate with shareholders, employees, governments, communities and above all customers will be indispensable". So said Peter Aceto, former CEO of IngDirect in Canada, when interviewed by Forbes. Go beyond the ivory towers of yesteryear, beyond the silos, beyond the silence. More than an invitation, an imperative. On the other hand, measuring the value of a leader is increasingly linked to the ability to manage and communicate with stakeholders on different platforms.

That reputational capital represented by its management determines the eventual success of the brand, its positioning and consequently conditions its economic performance. This is also what emerges from the new edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer 2024: from the global data, people's expectations of their CEO are very high: 62% of respondents around the world trust leadership not only to govern business change, but also to intervene and act on social impact. Respondents demand that the ceo publicly address issues such as job skills (82 per cent), the ethical use of technology (79 per cent) and the impact of automation on the workplace (78 per cent). But there is more. In previous years, the same study showed that as many as 82% of respondents are more likely to trust a company when their senior executives are active on social media, while 77% of consumers are more likely to buy when the CEO uses them. More. 50% of millennials expect ceos to talk openly about social issues. A positioning path that moves from the inside out: according to a study carried out in Ireland by the agency PR360 82% of employees consider communication with their ceo very important and 70% say they feel more valued when they are not excluded from the information loop. 'Personal branding is key for CEOs': so headlined the American publication Entrepreneur. A way to define the perimeter of contemporary leaders and at the same time provide a compass to guide company strategies. "The world we live in has changed. Hiding behind the walls of our organisations is no longer an option," wrote journalist Marina Byezhanova. "Top management figures are the first to have to create the conditions for communicating with one voice and acting as one team, while preserving those differences that distinguish different departments: from the objectives to the stakeholders they interface with. And they can also set an example in a direct way with first-person exposure to internal and external audiences where each manager can contribute to achieving the common goals mentioned in the question,' says Stefano Chiarazzo, author of 'Business Content Creator' published by FrancoAngeli. For Chiarazzo, today all departments contribute to the creation and dissemination of content to improve sales, corporate reputation and employer branding. Beyond positioning, there is performance. "Reputation is an intangible asset that must be taken care of to sustain the business and to create the right conditions for a healthy business tomorrow. The reputation of a company and that of its leaders are intertwined, for better or worse. The visibility and credibility of managers generates attention, affection and above all trust by making multiple contributions. In a higher and more strategic way, leading with their vision not only their own company but also their industry in a virtuous and synergetic growth. The leaders who communicate most effectively are those who do not do personal branding but brand advocacy, embodying and bearing authentic witness to purpose and values through what they do, what they say and the communities they create or in which they participate. Globally, the main references are Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Mary Barra of General Motors or Vas Narasimhan of Novartis,' Chiarazzo points out.

Exposing yourself pays off. Recent research by Reputation Leader and Bospar reports that 97 per cent of top managers believe that thought leadership brings a moderate to high Roi with a range of 5 to 15 per cent. But care must be taken. "People want real, credible, authentic stories, not perfection or a list of impressive and sometimes pumped-up successes. What is your story? Branding is the wrapping, but credibility is needed rather than mere visibility as reputation is important,' wrote Paolo Gallo, a long-time top manager with a career path between Europe and the United States, who has just come out on newsstands and in bookshops with 'L'arte di crescere. 7 passi per diventare leader', published by Il Sole 24 Ore. For Gallo you need authenticity, awareness, empathy. "You have to put your heart into it. Becoming an example means having the discipline to commit to our life choices on a daily basis and having the courage of our convictions,' Gallo points out. In short, it takes constancy and consistency. "The first risk is to talk one way and behave another. Broken promises, resounding expectations, overly optimistic forecasts generate expectations in all categories of stakeholders. If the castle collapses, it means for the top manager to break the pact of trust with the people,' Chiarazzo concludes. In short, streams cause unthinkable consequences, and the game - in that extended playing field that is digital - is increasingly closely intertwined.