One of the concerns people raise in my Thought Leadership training is how to respond on social media when people disagree with what you say or get nasty.

Three bits of Advice

My advice is three-fold.

First of all, it is only a matter of time before someone will disagree with you. So, it’s not a matter of if but when …Bring it on.

Act like a Thought Leader

My second point is that being a Thought Leader involves innovative thinking that may stir things up or challenge the status quo. This naturally lends itself to people questioning your ideas. When handled with an open mind, disagreement promotes critical thinking and a closer examination of the positive and negative points. This is a great way for you to analyse and improve your content. By thanking people for their contribution and responding in a non-defensive manner, you can also avoid inflammatory or off-topic messages.

Dealing with Trolls

But what if someone purposely says something controversial in order to get a rise out of you? My final bit of advice is that when you are dealing with trolls, don’t feed their desire for disruption by rising to the bait. Sometimes I simply ignore the comment and allow followers to respond on my behalf. A loyal and unified community of followers can effectively drive off a troll. As long as they don’t partake of provoking and annoying behaviours themselves.

While I may respond initially to address the issue, my decision is that I don’t engage in negativity on social media.

Don’t take the bait

Alex, my 18-year-old daughter, has mastered the ‘don’t take the bait’ strategy when it comes to her parents, who she finds infuriating at times. By making a conscious decision not to engage, she avoids an argument or an escalation of one.

A recent text exchange between my husband and daughter highlights the ‘not taking the bait’ strategy.

P.S.

Registrations are now open for my next Thought Leadership program in Melbourne program on 30th and 31st May. You can find out more and register here.

P.P.S

There is also one spot still available for my New York program on 18th and 19th March. Don’t miss out and register your interest now!