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I want to talk about something that feels obvious, and yet almost nobody is doing well.
Being human on social media.
That sentence alone should feel strange. Social media was supposed to connect us. Instead, most days it feels like an industrial farming operation for attention. Automated DMs, recycled posts, fake familiarity, and quiet exhaustion on both sides of the screen.
Here is the paradox. Social media can be powerful, but most people are using it in a way that actively destroys trust.
First, let’s challenge a bad assumption
You do not have to be on social media.
If you are an established professional with a deep network, real credibility, and a steady flow of introductions, social media is optional. Full stop. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling you something or just repeating what they have been told.
But if you do choose to be on social media, then you have a responsibility to use it well.
Because mediocre, automated, lowest common denominator tactics do not just sort of work. They create the worst possible outcome. Just enough activity to keep you stuck.
The horrific result of mediocrity
Most automation does not fail outright.
It works just enough.
Enough likes to feel busy.
Enough replies to feel hopeful.
Enough noise to distract you from the fact that nothing meaningful is happening.
Mediocrity is dangerous because it numbs ambition. It convinces smart, capable professionals to settle for shallow attention instead of real relationships. We were not designed for that.
Social media is a tool, not a strategy
Think Swiss Army knife, not precision instrument.
It can help you:
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Stay visible
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Reinforce credibility
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Create light touch connection
It cannot:
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Replace trust
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Shortcut relationships
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Compensate for a lack of clarity about who you serve and why
Your vision for your business and your life should determine whether and how you use social media. Not fear, guilt, or trends.
Why I delegate the madness
I made a very intentional decision. I do not try to master the ever-changing rules of social platforms.
I have exported the madness.
John Lusher and his team handle the technical execution, so I can focus on what I actually do well. Thinking, writing, teaching, and having real conversations with real people.
That is not avoidance. That is leadership. Resources should follow strategy, not the other way around.
Competing for attention is a fight worth fighting if you fight the right way
Attention matters. But how you compete for it matters more.
I am willing to invest in people, not programs.
In thinking, not hacks.
In humanity, not scale-at-all-costs automation.
Because trust still compounds faster than reach.
Two books, one cultural stack
If you care about building a human-centric business online and offline, I will point you to two books that belong together.
Can I Borrow Your Car?
It is about referrals, yes. But more importantly, it is about becoming someone worthy of introduction. Collaboration, trust, and returning relationships better than you received them.
Social Selling by Tim Hughes
Tim has been saying the same thing for years, long before it was fashionable. Be human, be helpful, be relevant. Not just as an individual, but as a culture. Tim and Adam Gray at DLA Ignite apply this at enterprise scale without losing their humanity. That is rare.
Together, these books form a simple but demanding standard.
Use technology to deepen humanity, not replace it.
A warning for the AI age
Automation is a siren song.
AI will make it louder.
Used well, technology can free you to be more human.
Used poorly, it will amplify everything shallow about your business.
The difference is not effort. It is strategy.
Excellence has always required clarity, discipline, and intention. That has not changed. What has changed is how easy it is to look busy while avoiding the real work.
A simple reflection
Ask yourself:
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Do I actually need social media?
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If I am using it, does it reflect my values or my fatigue?
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Is it helping me build relationships or just maintaining noise?
You do not need to be everywhere.
You do need to be excellent somewhere.
And excellence now more than ever starts by choosing to stay human.
Related: The One Hire That Unlocks Your Next 10 Ideal Clients—and Gives You Your Life Back