Connecting with Audience

So many blogs have become so many human voices on the internet.

Many leadership blogs send down guidance and insight from the ether. But what is the potential of a leadership blog in an organization?

I've been blogging in earnest for a little over three years, and I try to focus my blog on my school system . . . yet connect it to the greater conversations in the blogosphere.

This may be a refresher for many in LeaderTalk, but it may also be a good time to reflect on the purpose of our leadership blogs---if indeed we are keeping them with organizational ends in mind.

We can probably brainstorm reasons why we keep leadership blogs in our organizations. The list might go something like transparency, exemplar, R & D, historical archive, connectivism and serendipity. We can think of other reasons, I'm sure. But the one I want to focus on is Connecting with Audience through Human Voice.

We as organizational leaders have to be careful not to de-contextualize our blog entries---Lest they become mere treatises from on-high ringed with omniscient air. One way to stay grounded in the blogosphere is occasionally to post personal anecdotes, introspections, and other tidbits that connect to the human condition.

Interspersed with our outlook, insight, philosophy and worldview---we can share our humanity like these organizational leaders have:

• Miguel reflects on the pain of his father's passing
• Joyce shares her daughter's art aspirations
• Chris shares the joy his children bring
• Lisa shares her response to an emotional song about aging
• Doug shares his latest hiking adventure in some far-off land
• Jacquie shares the news of her husband's car accident

I read these leaders whenever they write. Their professional knowledge is noteworthy and impressive. But I tend not to remember them by their latest professional spin. Instead, what stays with me is that these leaders are people first.  They have lives, families, friends, personal triumphs, personal trials, etc.

Even though for the most part I have never met these leaders F2F in real time, I have a sense of their humanity. And in a people-first enterprise, I am more apt to connect and respond to leaders whom I regard as people first.

So many blogs have become so many human voices on the internet.  Mine is at Haulin' 'Net.

Comments

[Dave Younce]

Joe - you hit it right on the head. Thanks for sharing that reminder.

[Steve Poling]

The variety of leadership blogs on the net is apparent just by looking at the blogs in this group. I am not sure that having a more human voice or less human voice impacts what a person has to share about leadership. Here are some thoughts on the subject of what or how to blog:
http://drjansblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/dont-write-it-unless-its-pretty.html
http://mr-ps-blog.blogspot.com/2007/02/does-blogging-help-or-hurt-future-job.html

[Joyce Valenza]

Joe,
Thank you for this post! Occasionally I get criticism for "wasting" folks time with the personal. I've had grad students complain on their own public blogs, "Why did you have me monitor that blog? I don't care that her son graduated."

It is hard to keep your soul from escaping into your blog. Thanks for validating that it is okay. And btw, I am a sucker for Doug's travel adventures and Chris' baby pics!