Feeling technically out of date? Don't make yourself obsolete.

If you are an executive or a aspiring leader, chances are you are part of Generation X.  You grew up in an age of amazing technological change and you were at the forefront.

Perhaps you were the first to play 'Asteroids' on Atari or run 'Gridrunner' off of a tape drive hooked up to a Commodore VIC-20 (yes, it was you!).  You were the first of your friends to own a mobile phone and you have yelled at your mom for picking up the phone when you were trying to download a program over the Internet.  You were the master of the web and knew the power of search engines before people knew how to 'google it'.

So when did you lose your savvy?  When did the feeling of uncertainty start?  When did you realize that you no longer knew the latest and greatest digital and social trends.  When did you become your parents?

 

Face it.  There is a time in your career when your focus is no longer about what you know but how to manage it.  When you progress from a subject matter expert to a leader, you need to let go of the details to be an effective manager.  Today, in a time of blistering pace of change, it seems next to impossible to keep up.

If you are feeling like you are going to be found out... try these DO's and DON'T to keep up your chops:

DO - leverage your people.  I am always astounded at the energy and passion that can be created when you provide someone the opportunity to share knowledge.  Leverage your colleagues, Gen Y's, network, kids to provide you an competitive social assessment, help you figure out a new technology or present some innovative digital ideas for your business.

DON'T - assume it will go away.  Argue that Facebook and Twitter are a fad and not only will you seem like that 'old guy' but you may also limit yourself when developing new products, markets or channels.  It is possible that Facebook and Twitter may not be the hot platforms in 5 years, but there is no doubt that digital will continue to change our world, exponentially.  Funny, that internet fad just didn't go away either.

DON'T - get overwhelmed.  It is easy to feel like you are on the outside looking in when you are inundated with articles, blogs and tweets from a plethora of thought leaders.  Just remember, many of these thought leaders either:  do it for a living; have content developers; or apparently don't have a need to sleep.

DO - follow thought-leaders that are relevant to your industry.  Find a few that inspire you.  You read biographies and leadership books, now include on-line sources for inspiration and techniques.

DON'T - believe everything you hear.  Being pragmatic is important too.  Not all social and digital initiatives are right for your company and goals.  Investigate options but only commit to those that are relevant to your customers, are supportable by your organization and that you can leverage to meet your business objectives.

DO - create a presence.  Even if it is just on LinkedIn, ensure you have a professional and appropriate representation of your company and yourself on-line.  This could be a make or break point on whether your business is a place that your prospects want to do business with you or work for your company.

DON'T - think you are alone.  One of the biggest fears of leaders is that they will be 'found out'.  Most of us are not expected to be an expert but if you are open-minded and curious, finding the courage to get back your tech mojo is within your grasp.