Three Leadership Principles for Successful Blogging

26 May 2010

Three Leadership Principles for Successful Blogging

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Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Siddhartha Herdegen, who is what I like to call, a silent killer.

He’s doing great things, but super humble about it. I hope you’ll follow him by clicking the link at the bottom of this post.

Success is not easy – we all know that – but blogging is; it’s just writing.

As an expert in the field of leadership, I often get asked how to be a leader. The simple answer is: figure out how to write a successful blog and you’ll know how to be a leader. And the corollary is true as well. Figure out how to be a leader and you’ll have a successful blog.

They demand the same set of skills:

1. Have a vision.
2. Connect with followers.
3. Communicate your vision in a way that makes them want to follow you.

Most people think they only need help with the last two, but of these the hardest part, believe it or not, is the first step. So I’ll talk about that last.

Connecting with followers

Before people will follow you they have to want to hear what you have to say. They have to like you and/or respect you.

If you’re one of those rare people who are renowned in your field, you’re starting with a leg up on everyone else. If you’re like the rest of us (most of the blogging world), you’ll have to find another way to connect.

The easiest way to connect with people is to get them to see you as a real person. This means opening up and being vulnerable. It means showing some flaws and risking being criticized.

It also means being open to the point that it hurts; becoming completely naked and transparent. Please keep your clothes on. I meant being emotionally naked, as in, without cover.

When you open yourself on your blog two important things happen: people will see you as genuine and authentic and they will find aspects of your flaws that correspond with theirs.

This creates an immediate bond because our flaws are a part of ourselves people don’t openly talk about. We rarely get to see this side of people. Now suddenly they’ve met someone who is going through the same thing, someone who understands. There’s a bond of understanding and immediate trust.

Communicating your vision

Once you have introduced yourself as someone they can relate to and care about, you need to communicate your vision.

Reading takes energy. That’s why most people watch TV instead of reading. To get people to actually read your blog takes an engaging writing style. It takes a unique way of saying things. In short, it takes personality. This is what writers refer to as your “voice”.

A lot of people use humor. Humor is engaging, but it’s not for everyone and it will only get you so far. People may visit your blog to see if you have anything funny to say but they aren’t going to take you seriously and probably won’t buy what you’re selling.

What you want to evoke is interest. An intriguing story, a new perspective on familiar problems, or a solution they hadn’t considered. You need to make a point.

You have to communicate in a way that aligns your vision with theirs and you need to do it in a way that tells a compelling story.

For those who are not writers, a “story” is simply a character they can relate to, having a problem that ends with a solution. The main character could be you, or them. State the problem, then show them the solution.

(For this post, you are the character. The problem is not knowing how to blog successfully. The solution is to implement these steps and blog like a leader.)

Finding your vision

I have saved this until last because I think it is really the hardest part about being a leader. You need to know where you’re going. That’s why people are following you.

If they’ve already got what you’re offering, why should they read?

So you’ve got to come up with something new. Your vision is the way you see the world. In that sense, everyone has a vision since everyone has a worldview. But you need a vision that is compelling.

In order for a vision to be compelling, it needs to solve an existing problem. This is what is referred to as finding your niche. But it’s more than merely a segment of the market – it’s a vision of the world that solves a specific problem.

“I work with idiots” is a worldview. “You can improve your life through conscious effort” is a worldview. “You can make a living blogging” is another. Any of these could be a leadership platform.

The thing you need to figure out is, what is unique about your view and is it compelling? Generally, if you don’t feel passionate about it, it’s not all that compelling.

It takes creativity and critical thinking. Creativity to come up with a unique vision and critical thinking to ensure it will stand up to scrutiny.

As I said, these steps are not easy. But practiced consistently and with purposeful application you will find people respond to your vision and follow you.

Then you will be a successful blogger and a successful leader.

Siddhartha Herdegen is the Assistant Chair of the Leadership Department at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He writes the Leadership Development blog Principles of Failure at http://principlesoffailure.blogspot.com. He can be reached at Principles.of.Failure@gmail.com.

Image Credit: Hamed Saber

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http://twitter.com/shannonrss/status/14773342690 Shannon Albert’s RSS

Nathan Hangen – Three Leadership Principles for Successful Blogging:

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post … http://bit.ly/clcfqH
http://twitter.com/kbloemendaal/status/14773343372 Keith

RT @nhangen Three Leadership Principles for Successful Blogging:

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by S… http://bit.ly/clcfqH
http://twitter.com/nhangen/status/14773493080 Nathan Hangen

3 Leadership principles for Successful Blogging via @SHerdegen http://bit.ly/dxo7ul
http://twitter.com/sherdegen/status/14774182779 Siddhartha Herdegen

Thanks, Nathan RT @nhangen: 3 Leadership principles for Successful Blogging via @SHerdegen http://bit.ly/dxo7ul
http://twitter.com/clivetlc/status/14774607312 Clive Thomas

Three Leadership Principles for Successful Blogging http://bit.ly/bmLE4v
http://twitter.com/sherdegen/status/14781547234 Siddhartha Herdegen

My guest post for Building Digital Empires RT @nhangen: 3 Leadership principles for Successful Blogging via @SHerdegen http://bit.ly/dxo7ul
http://twitter.com/talktherapybiz Linda Esposito

Thank you for this post 'Sid' (hope you're cool w/ that!)/Nathan–

I get so excited whenever I hear people refer to authenticity and honesty–sooo underrated in life. Most people will read, or skim, rather, right over you if they sense you're not revealing your true self…especially people in authority positions.

If you're in a relationship where you're subordinate, you want to feel like the person guiding you understands what you're dealing with b/c they've been there, too.
http://twitter.com/skooloflife/status/14784884984 Srinivas Rao

Reading Three Leadership Principles for Successful Blogging: http://bit.ly/dxo7ul
http://twitter.com/multicara/status/14784952250 multicara

Three Leadership Principles for Successful Blogging http://bit.ly/bmLE4v
Siddhartha Herdegen

Thanks, Nathan RT @nhangen: 3 Leadership principles for Successful Blogging via @SHerdegen http://bit.ly/dxo7ul
http://website-in-a-weekend.net/ Dave Doolin

For me, finding the right vision is definitely the hardest part. “Writing software and going surfing” is not the correct vision at this time, that's for sure.

It might be the correct vision for the future.

But there's a few implementation details to work out first!

On the other hand, having no vision at all seems a recipe worse than having the wrong vision.
http://twitter.com/nhangen/status/14790665735 Nathan Hangen

RT @SHerdegen: 3 Leadership principles for Successful Blogging http://bit.ly/dxo7ul – superb guest post
http://principlesoffailure.blogspot.com/ SHerdegen

Linda, thanks for your comment here. I applaud your confession to liking “authenticity” and “honesty”. They have been getting a lot of play lately and sometimes when that happens it generates a social backlash from people want to be seen as hip.

But these values speak to the core of each of us so even when people shy away from talking about them directly, they crave them. And that’s why they’re so essential to effective leadership. People need to feel a connection before they’ll get onboard.

It’s a big commitment to become a follower, one that people don’t want to take frivously. That’s why so many people stand on the sidelines for so long. They’re not “lurking” they’re trying to figure out if you’re trustworthy. Because once they publically declare they’re with you, they don’t want to find out you’re a fraud.

On my site there are two ways people can follow my blog, through subscriptions (anonymous) and through Facebook (profile photo shows on site). Which one do you think gets used more often? People are more hesitant to put their face on my site and publically declare they like me until they feel comfortable with me.

It’s the same for everyone. The lessons here: be authentic and honest, but also give people the option to follow anonymously for a while if they want. They need the time to get to know you.
http://principlesoffailure.blogspot.com/ SHerdegen

Dave, I have a lot of respect for what you do. I think you’re selling yourself short (in your typically understated way). Anyone who visits your site will see your worldview eschews esoteric jargon and cheesy sales pitches.

You’ve taken this worldview and extracted a vision. I think your vision is “helping people overcome their fear and fulfill their desire to get a website online, and do it in a straight forward, no BS manner”. My words, not yours, but that’s what I see.

Why is this a compelling vision? It solves the existing problem that people feel overwhelmed when they think about putting up a site and they want to deal with someone who can relate to them.

“Writing software and going surfing” is also a compelling vision, but you don’t need followers to do that.
http://www.financiallydigital.com Nunzio Bruno

This post definitely got me thinking about the relationship between being a leader and a blogger. You see resources all over the net for both but the cross over never really hit me until now. I can absolutely agree with the honesty and vulnerability. In my endeavor's being just another head talking at an audience doesn't really create a community or environment for learning. Great guest post!
http://principlesoffailure.blogspot.com/ SHerdegen

Nunzio, thanks for the compliment. It’s easy to write about leadership because it’s a subject I feel passionate about. You’re absolutely right about not just talking at an audience. They’re there to learn about you, to find out if your message resonates with them. You need to feed them not throw food at them.

They want to have the feeling you just had, when you said it finally clicked about being a leader and being a blogger. That feeling of connection can be two ideas that fit together, as it was for you, or it can be two people relating to a common experience or perception.

One of the most powerful passages I’ve ever read in a book was when I was reading Dave Eggers’ A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. He was writing about his childhood and he described eating Cap’n Crunch cereal in a messy kitchen with dishes piled in the sink and I suddenly thought, I like this guy.

He had said something that resonated personally with my experience as a child and there was that click that abruptly changed him from an unknown author to a friend. I felt like I understood him and that, if we ever met, he would understand me.

This is what we have to do as bloggers and as leaders; to create some real connections in our followers. It can be conceptual, as in your case, or personal, as in mine, but they have to feel something inside or they won’t continue to follow.

We have no idea what will make that connection for them. Maybe you didn’t grow up eating junk food cereal in a messy kitchen so that doesn’t resonate with you. The important thing is to talk about something that has the potential to connect and then have faith our tribe members will respond to it.
http://twitter.com/sherdegen/status/14801533725 Siddhartha Herdegen

Thanks RT @nhangen: RT @SHerdegen: 3 Leadership principles for Successful Blogging http://bit.ly/dxo7ul – superb guest post
http://www.ivanwalsh.com Ivan Walsh

re: important thing is to talk about something that has the potential to connect. That's what it';s about really. Hard to add to what you said
http://twitter.com/jesseblayne/status/14805890392 Jesse Blayne

good read –>RT @nhangen Three Leadership Principles for Successful Blogging http://bit.ly/bmLE4v
http://twitter.com/sherdegen/status/14825648411 Siddhartha Herdegen

Check out my guest post at Building Digital Empires: 3 Leadership principles for Successful Blogging http://bit.ly/dxo7ul
http://twitter.com/saints_patriots/status/14848909061 Saints and Patriots

Extending influence RT @SHerdegen: Check out Building Digital Empires: 3 Leadership principles for Successful Blogging http://bit.ly/dxo7ul
http://www.3x5entrepreneur.com/ Brandon the 3×5 Guy

I have to agree with the leadership principles espoused here. In fact, I discussed them at some length in my book “The Leading Entrepreneur: Taking the helm of your small business and leading it to success” (See Amazon or msg me on Twitter if you're interested).

While my book was geared more at launching a business and included discussion of opportunity identification, two key pieces of my book relate. A Vision is critical to knowing what you want to accomplish. But in many ways the communication is more important.

When you're “handed” followers who are paid to listen to you – as is the case in a big company – communicating your vision is important, but your followers are basically required to listen.

When you're an entrepreneur (or a blogger), your potential followers have no incentive to follow your lead unless you can make your vision compelling to them. And basically, it's sales. What need or desire can your vision meet for them? What can they gain by contributing to the achievement of your vision? In marketing terms, what are the benefits? Can you close that sale?
http://principlesoffailure.blogspot.com/ SHerdegen

Thanks for your comments, Brandon. Nice to hear we’re on the same wavelength. I haven’t read your book but its message sounds right on the money.

I totally agree with you when you said, “communication is more important.” I didn’t spend too much time talking about communication because I think there is a lot of information out there already for those who are looking.

But while communication may be more important, I think developing your vision is harder. That’s why I wanted to focus on it in my post. To use your sales analogy, your vision is the “product”. You need to have that first.
http://www.passionninja.com Jennifer Barthe

The hardest part of becoming a leader is allowing yourself to be different. It's so easy to be like everyone else. You don't want offend anyone or make waves. This approach is a total waste of time.

When I started my first blog in 2008, I was too nice and wrote lots of dribble drabble. But when I started being honest in 2010 – sharing my story about why I decided to become homeless on purpose in 2005 – people started getting interested. I made some new online friends and things started rolling.

The inspiration I recieved from others really inspired me to re-work my blog and make it even better than before. My desire to serve people grew stronger, simply because I opened up and showed my true colors.
http://www.passionninja.com Jennifer Barthe

I like the point you made about paid followers in relation to big companies. When I worked as a tech marker, the company's followers we're treated according to how much their orders added up to. We neglected a lot of people who made small orders but would have become big customers later on. The biggest customers were always given the bulk of attention. Usually they were pain-in-the-@sses. The smaller customers asked a lot of useful questions but were not given the respect they deserved.
http://www.urbanizedmedicine.com Jennifer Barthe

The hardest part of becoming a leader is allowing yourself to be different. It's so easy to be like everyone else. You don't want offend anyone or make waves. This approach is a total waste of time.

When I started my first blog in 2008, I was too nice and wrote lots of dribble drabble. But when I started being honest in 2010 – sharing my story about why I decided to become homeless on purpose in 2005 – people started getting interested. I made some new online friends and things started rolling.

The inspiration I recieved from others really inspired me to re-work my blog and make it even better than before. My desire to serve people grew stronger, simply because I opened up and showed my true colors.
http://www.urbanizedmedicine.com Jennifer Barthe

I like the point you made about paid followers in relation to big companies. When I worked as a tech marker, the company's followers we're treated according to how much their orders added up to. We neglected a lot of people who made small orders but would have become big customers later on. The biggest customers were always given the bulk of attention. Usually they were pain-in-the-@sses. The smaller customers asked a lot of useful questions but were not given the respect they deserved.
http://bigredtomatocompany.co.uk/2010/06/wednesday-wisdom-12/ Big Red Tomato Company » Wednesday Wisdom

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