While not a regular visitor to the corporate boardroom these days, it still happens. This is where the leadership is supposed to be. And a key definition of leadership in virtually all the serious publications i’ve seen concur that leadership starts and focuses outside the building. Managers, run the “show” of the company, but the leaders job is to make sure the organization knows what is happening outside the boardroom and the corporate office.

This is where the leadership part begins - what changes will the organization have to make to take advantage of today’s reality and where are the risks out there that need to be reviewed. Of course at the moment, most have focused on the risk, not the opportunity, but that’s another time.

Part of that outward focus has got to be what we now call Social Media. I personally have limited knowledge, but I know we have that outside understanding in our organization. And we see opportunity. Along with the folks at dynamIt (web specialists) and Brian Link (of Digg fame) we see there is opportunity to help the “C’s” and others in the executive suite learn what they need to know about this world and then help them figure out how and if this new internet can help support their corporate goals and strategies.

It seems to us that when hundreds of millions of people start talking to each other about everything from their love of combs to their passion for carpet swatches it’s important to listen to what they’re saying about you. And figure out if you can learn from the conversation and interpret whether that conversation can assist the organization or if the organization can assist the “talkers.”

Should be interesting and fun.