Connected Leadership: Redefining Expectations for the Modern CEO

I began my career in the Army studying and practicing leadership, failing and trying to do it better. Whether in the military, politics, startup, or corporate environments, I found that the most effective leaders do two things. First, they lead by example. Second, they build authentic connections, with their own teams and others. This is why I’m so excited to launch Connected Leadership.

Connected Leadership is a new Brunswick platform that explores the changing expectations of leaders and provides insight into how innovative leaders are engaging online using a one-of-a-kind index of S&P 500 and FTSE 350 CEOs online.

More than two out of three employees believe it important for business leaders to use social media, yet only half (48%) of the 790 CEOs we considered have a social media presence. Only 25% have posted in the last year.

The expectations of a modern CEO are different, but with teams and stakeholders globally dispersed, digitally linked leaders today can build meaningful connections at scale and lead by personal, visible example. And there's demand for it.

Key findings from Connected Leadership

Leading through crisis

A leader's communication is critical during a crisis when clarity, accuracy, and speed matter. Leaders who have built networks of trust online are better equipped to reassure stakeholders when it counts. We found that approximately 9 out of 10 finance readers cite the importance of social communications by CEOs in a time of crisis.

Attract and keep talent

In an increasingly sharp battle to find, engage, and retain top talent, the mandate for connected leadership is similarly clear. Potential employees use social media to research the leadership of future employers and by a more than a 2 to 1 ratio say they would prefer to work for a CEO that uses digital and social media as opposed to one that does not.

Connected Leaders are active in every industry

There's no reason for a CEO to sit on the sideline—in every industry we found a Connected Leader. Among the Top 100 Connected Leaders, the sectors most represented are technology, healthcare, and industrial goods and services.

What the Top 50 Connected Leaders do right

The Top Connected Leaders are more active, visual, and authentic:

• Posted 2X as much video content on average as the average active CEO.
• Shared photos in 98% of their posts in the last year.
• Posted twice as often as peers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The evidence is clear

Realizing the full potential of Connected Leadership is a journey. With a strategy and plan, executives in every industry can advance their business objectives and leverage the unique scale, speed, and connectivity of digital platforms to become Connected Leaders. Visit our website and download the full report to learn more.

Craig Mullaney is a leading authority on executives’ use of digital and social media and has provided strategic counsel to global leaders ranging from heads of state to Fortune 50 CEOs. Craig joined Brunswick from Facebook where he founded their Global Business Influencer Program and has also served as a senior advisor at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and at the Pentagon during the Obama Administration. He is a New York Times-bestselling author, Army combat veteran, West Point graduate, and Rhodes scholar. He has appeared on CBS, CNBC, BBC World News America, National Public Radio, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.