From this week, the assigned reading was a chapter from Erik Qualman called Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success and Influence. This book is about how digital communication and networking can build and strengthen leadership, and Chapter 16 specifically looks at empowering others by working together, trusting each other, and building meaningful connections. One thing that stood out to me from the reading was the collaboration aspect. Qualman (2012) explains that the power of effective leadership is not about controlling each decision or having or always needing to have the answer, but instead it is about creating a space and opportunities for others to contribute, show their strengths, and make them feel valued. I can see a major connection to PLN’s and how they function. In a PLN, you see and experience different experiences and knowledge from multiple areas of life, work, and more. You learn from the collaboration instead of information from a single source.
I found the idea from the chapter I found interesting was finding a network before you actually need it. I have felt that it is easy to reach out to others only when you need help. I am someone who is independent and finds it hard to ask for help and struggle till the task is completed, but reading this chapter emphasises creating authentic relationships over time so that the trust and support are ready and available when a challenge exists, and makes me realize I could be closing doors I didn’t know were there to be opened. This makes me realize the importance of actively engaging with personal and professional communities and not just passively obverse them or fight with myself to do it alone. Whether it is commenting on a post, giving a resource, sending an email, or participating in a discussion, these small interactions can help build connections,
The last point that resonated with me was the topic of digital footprints and online engagement. My digital footprint started at a young age and has been continuing to grow for the last 12 years or even more. The chapter makes a point that instead of focusing on every negative comment or criticism, people should focus on positively contributing and creating meaningful material and content (Qualman, 2012). I think this point is especially prevalent right now when so much of our professional and personal communication happens online. This reminds me that our digital presence is constantly building and continues overtime. It shows that the way we interact shapes how we are perceived. Overall, this week’s reading symbolised the idea of strong relationships, positive contributions, and the willingness and being open minded to learn are some of the most important aspects of leadership and personal growth.
Sources
Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success & Influence Ch. 16 Qualman, Erik – Empower Others https://tinyurl.com/2afvzd7b
Image 1: https://www.magnific.com/vectors/community-support-illustration
Image 2: https://www.in.gov/cybersecurity/blog/post/how-can-you-protect-your-digital-footprint-online
Hi Hana,
Thanks for your blog post – I’m going to use it for my collaborative reflection assignment. I’m a little bit brain tired from working on my presentation, so I apologize if this is chunky at all.
I appreciated how in your week 4 blog post, you pull out the core ideas from the reading, especially how you emphasize collaboration and shared leadership. Your point about leadership not being about being controlling, but about creating space for others to contribute really came through strongly.
I also thought your connection of PLNs was a strong point of this post. You highlighted how learning from multiple perspectives is more valuable than relying on a single source, which is basically the whole point of building that PLN in the first place. It gave me pause to reflect on how I default to working alone, even when collaboration would make things easier. The reflective thinking that you show in sharing about struggling to ask for help makes this post feel relatable and personable, finding the network before you need one is great advice.
One thing you could expand on, to strengthen the post, is the practical side of building these relationships. You do mention small interactions like commenting or sharing resources, but maybe adding a concrete example from your own experience would help readers see how this plays out.
Another area you could deepen here is the digital footprint section. It might be helpful to connect what you shared, about positive contributions needing to matter more than obsessing over criticism, to how future employers or colleagues might interpret your digital presence.
A resource that might pair well with what you wrote is dana boyd’s work on network publics https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v10i3/4.4529 . boyd talks a lot about how online spaces shape identity and relationships, which aligns with your points about trust, visibility, and long-term engagement. It could give you more language for thinking about how PLNs function professionally.
Overall, I really appreciate your post being clear and honest and grounded in the reading, and I found that it did help me learn through your experience.