For many individuals, Facebook is a way to connect with friends, family, and just possibly, play a few games. For professional marketers, Facebook is a way to grow the brand, nurture a community of interest, and just possibly, sell. But for senior leaders, Facebook (and other Social Media platforms) might have an even more important role – and one that is too often neglected.

True, there are some who may argue that leaders should not be on Facebook for reasons of privacy or efficiency, but with the ubiquity tipping point long passed, this argument is silly. In addition, it makes sense to be on Facebook if only for defensive reasons: non-participation opens the leader to considerable risks.

• Identity theft: It is too easy for someone to create a “fake” profile that is 90% accurate – except for several phony (and embarrassing) details.
• Mistaken identity: It is too easy for a user to mistake someone else with your exact name for you. What if someone is considering you for a position or a board position, but is alarmed by something they see on this doppelgänger profile?

Beyond the negative, there are three key reasons to create a profile:
1) It is yet another leadership communication channel.
2) People can get a glimpse at the “you” beyond the job: they will have context to how you think.
3) It humanizes you. You’re more than just a title, and have the same personal wins (and concerns) as any “normal” person within the organization.

With all this being said, there are two key aspects to using Facebook as a leadership tool:

1) Watch for the creep-out factor… and respect other’s privacy. Just because you can look at others’ profiles doesn’t mean that you must act or react. There is a tacit social contract not to “creep out” others – especially when you are in a leadership position. On the other hand, showing interest in a person’s accomplishments can be highly motivating when done with sensitivity.

2) Monitor and manage your profile: it is semi-public. This means being cognizant that there are several different audiences beyond friends and family, including employees, members, job candidates, investors, the media, and more. Each of these groups (and others) will scrutinize your posts, comments, likes – and other people’s comments on your timeline. Govern your actions accordingly, as users’ reactions to what appears on your Facebook timeline will have a direct impact on your effectiveness as a leader.

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