After Debra's comment on last week's blog and seeing this cartoon from www.TomFishburne.com I am compelled to write this week's blog.

No apologies for those of you who write and spend hours on Facebook. I'm glad you have access to a world of friends, family and acquaintances. But Facebook reminds me of weak leadership. What is Facebook about? ME. Check it out:

"I just got back from shopping and found so many things on sale for me!" "You should see my dog run around the yard, she is so funny!" "Today is my birthday, Happy Birthday to me!" "Wow, I just love me!" (I made the last one up).

As Debra wrote last week, it appears Facebook and weak leadership are similar. She commented on the Federal system leadership (which is not the only system where this comment is true) as being "What can I do to promote myself and make myself recognizable?" Facebook is the same. Both are examples of  "It's all about ME"!

Examples of weak leadership from my previous question about "Leadership is Broken When...," and similarities with Facebook are: 

1. Promotes oneself exclusively.
2. When the only example you use is yours.
3. When the leader has to be communicated with in every detail.
4. Leadership is broken when the day is spent on self.

Weak leadership and Facebook have many things in common but one above all others- It's all about ME! Why does that bother me? It shouldn't. Our times are about self-promotion, taking care of ourselves, pushing to be noticed. So maybe like cannibals, I get fed up with people and leaders for which it's all about ME. If you want to be boring and weak in leading, talk about you. If you want to be interesting and motivating, talk about something else (someone once referred to this as the "cocktail rule"). The people of whom I like the most, who I will follow, are those who talk and speak less about themselves and are always looking for ways to find out about or motivate others.

So, here's the challenge: If you're a Facebook Fanatic, I challenge you to not write about yourself for one week. Instead spend your comments on encouraging others. For the rest who aspire to lead, I challenge you to look constantly for ways to encourage others, affirm others, and think less of yourself. See if your week isn't better.

Leadership is many things but it starts with humility. You've seen this before-"Don't think of yourself more highly than you should but with sober judgement think of others better than yourself".

Want to know a secret in life? A world full of yourself is a way to literally suck the life right out you. 

What do you think?