These days the question isn’t, ‘Are you on Twitter?’ but ‘Why aren’t you on Twitter?’ Yet there’s still plenty of people saying they’re too busy to tweet, or they don’t have to because they’ve employed someone else to do their social media.

It’s something I am so bored of hearing. That kind of attitude means you’re not only not using social media effectively, you’re also missing the chance to share why you’re successful.

Because I say that real business leaders tweet. Check the dictionary and the definition of leader is ‘an organisation or company that is the most advanced or successful in a particular area’. That means getting out there and showing that you really know what you’re talking about.

So what’s stopping people? I think it’s a fear of being too open, or the fact they just don’t get it. Plenty of executives might believe there’s no real value to social media but it’s changed the way people perceive companies and their leaders.

If you’re only sharing your latest press release rather than personal opinions and views on industry issues, it’s a wasted opportunity to add some real value to the conversation – and that’s where plenty of potential customers, competitors and partners will be judging you.

There’s no short cuts so start growing your own brand, tweet by tweet – and don’t think you can fake authenticity. However scary it might sound, the only route to success is being open and honest. The results will speak for themselves.