Tom Peters is a true social business leader in the 21st Century in every sense of the word.  On June 23, 2015, Tom posted on Tom Peter’s Blog an announcement of a digital award he received for his outstanding leadership for social employee advocacy leaders.  While Tom may be honored that he received the award, I’m more humbled that he announced this award on his blog.  Perhaps, I’ll always be enchanted by Tom’s red bull management style, softened by his understanding of employees and COMMUNITY.

As I explained in my initial post for the #EmployeeSEAL, the inspiration for this award came through my involvement with The Economist Intelligence Unit (@TheEIU) as an advisory board member tasked with selecting their Top 25 Social Business Leaders. During my interview in The Economist around that time, I also discussed how my involvement on the board helped bring some concepts full-circle for me. Specifically, I was struck by how much the concept of the social leader echoed Tom Peters’ concept of The Brand Called You nearly two decades prior—and how much we all still owe a debt of gratitude to Peters for his spot-on predictions of what the dawning age of social business would look like.

(Note: The #EmployeeSEAL is not affiliated with either The Economist or Tom Peters.)

Social leadership isn’t about achieving personal glory. Rather, it’s about establishing a level of EXCELLENCE and expectations to which future employees will aspire. It’s about building brand eminence in the presence while simultaneously laying a foundation for the future.  Tom Peters helps us better understand the meaning behind his famous Fast Company article, “The Brand Called You” in his post.

BRAND YOU MISUNDERSTOOD

Many get the “Brand You” idea ass-backwards; they see it as selfish/solo/ego-driven. But effective brand you is skill and network driven; that is, it is by and large selfless.  An effective Brand You learns constantly and delivers stellar projects via teamwork excellence.  An effective Brand You gets better and better projects. How? Via peer reputation for having been an ardent learner and terrific teammate. Fast-changing world. Re-tool or die (professionally).  NEVER forget: Brand You is 100% about COMMUNITY. You are as good—or bad—as your reputation with your peer network! ~ Tom Peters

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 New York Times, The Economist and Vanity Fair.

Download ~> Free Chapter 3 – “Brands Under Pressure”