Last week, my business partner and co-author of The Social Employee (Dell Chapter 7), Mark Burgess (@mnburgess), and I had the opportunity to present on two panels at Dell World 2014, held in Austin. And to be honest, our heads are still spinning from the wonderful whirlwind of events that took place in such a short amount of time. It is always a great privilege to rub elbows with so many prominent social business thought leaders. Here’s a quick recap of some of our highlights.

Women in Technology – Workplace of the Future hosted by Karen Quintos, SVP and CMO

“Where are all the women?”

One important takeaway that stuck with us through this whole process was this: while changing times may occasionally raise the stress levels of those at the epicenter, the good news is that an overwhelming sense of optimism for the future is usually following right behind. Such was the atmosphere my first stop at Women in IT – Breakfast.

Karen Quintos opened the Women in Technology breakfast saying that she is hugely optimistic of the progress being made by women in technology and leadership roles. “Things that matter to women also matter to men,” and that flexible work hours are important to both men and women.

The conversation of leadership was also exhilarating, and I had the opportunity to ask (see 47:00) Steve Price, Dell Senior Vice President, Human Resources, what makes a successful social business leader. Steve shared that Dell interviewed over one hundred executives and that HUMILITY was the number one attribute of a successful social business leader and not hard core corporate analytics, critical thinking, or problem solving. It’s the softer side of leadership, leaders with a low ego, high emotional intelligence, collaborate and most importantly LISTEN.

While listening to Steve respond to my question, I couldn’t help but think of Tom Peters’ (@Tom_Peters) stern advice that LISTENING is:

“EXCELLENCE is shutting up and listening—really listening”

“Talk vs. LISTEN/Listening-as-Strategic Tool #1″

Steve Price serves as senior vice president, Human Resources, for Dell 47:00

Upping the “wow” factor

Somehow during all this excitement, we were also able to take in some sights and sounds, reconnect with good friends, and sit in on some fascinating presentations and talks. It’s safe to say that the “wow” factor at this year’s Dell World 2014 was off the scales. We also want to thank our Dell ambassadors, @MariusHaas, @Konstanze, @KevinMGreen, @BryanatDell, @LisaGatDell @AmandaBurke, @AmyHatDell, for sharing their insights on social business, social leaders and social analytics, and mainly for their gracious hospitality. It was a lot of fun to watch all of them work their magic up close—what great ambassadors for the social era!

And of course, last but not least, we would like to send a special thank-you out to Michael Dell (@MichaelDell). It seemed like he was everywhere all at once, bringing endless charm and goodwill everywhere he went. We know that putting together an event of this magnitude isn’t easy, but from where we’re standing, everything came off without a hitch. Thank you for being so accommodating to so many of us, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for the conference next year!

Below are recent endorsements for The Social Employee (McGraw-Hill, August 2013) by Tom Peters and David Aaker on their social networks, but if you want to see more of their endorsements click here.

In The Social Employee, we go behind the scenes with several leading brands—such as IBM, AT&T, Dell, Adobe, Southwest Airlines, Cisco, Acxiom, and Domo—pulling the lid off the inspiring social business success stories that have propelled these companies into the 21st century. These cutting-edge brands have all come to the same realization: the path to social business lies through empowering the social employee.

See what others are saying about The Social Employee and order your copy today!

Please check out @SocialEmployee media buzz!

“Great brands have always started on the inside, but why are companies taking so long to leverage the great opportunities offered by internal social media? . . . The Social Employee lifts the lid on this potential and provides guidance for businesses everywhere.” —JEZ FRAMPTON, Global Chairman and CEO, Interbrand

The Social Employee offers an unparalleled behind-the-scenes look at the social business success stories of some of the biggest brand names in the business world, including IBM, AT&T, Dell, Adobe, Southwest Airlines, Cisco, Acxiom, and Domo. These cutting-edge brands have all come to the same realization: the path to social business lies through empowering the social employee.

The brands that leverage their employee base in order to engage customers and prospects through social media are the ones destined to win the marketing wars. This book not only details the astronomical rise of the social employee, but also outlines the innovative methods that leading companies have employed to foster cultures of enthusiastic and engaged workers.

FOREWORD by David C. Edelman, Global Co-Leader, Digital Marketing & Sales Practice, McKinsey & Company

AFTERWORD by Kevin Randall, Vice President of Brand Strategy & Research at
Movéo Integrated Branding, and journalist for The Economist and Fast Company