Twitter is blowing up with chat about the McLobster Sandwich, which is something that has been offered in certain areas for awhile now. Thoughts? What would you think about a McLobster sandwich? Here is an old McLobster video. A big thanks to Mike O’Connell for the info. Below the video is McDonald’s response.

Ok, what would you think about a McLobster sandwich? Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Arby’s responds promptly with a sponsored tweet below. Pretty genius.

McDonald’s, monitoring their brand closely on Twitter, submits this statement…

Ok, if the McLobster did make it to our menu, what would you think?  Love to hear your comments below!

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include family, faith, leadership and other stuff. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right. – Chad

Last year, I wrote an entry entitled: 3 Ways Twitter Can Powerfully Impact Your Local Community This Year. It highlighted the global impact of Twitter & referenced opportunities for local impact.

Everyone agrees that social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have transformed global conversations over the last year or so. Learning has multiplied and people around the world are talking like never before.

The challenge from many critics has been Twitter’s local usefulness.  The entry above referenced the challenge of Twitter’s viability on a local level, highlighting questions such as, “Show me Twitter working to build the local community and I’ll buy into it.”

Let me share how Twitter Helped Save a 3rd Grade Girl. I’ll keep names and specifics out for privacy reasons. The story reminds me of The Blind Side, where Leigh Anne Tuohy (2010 Academy Award winning best actress Sandra Bullock) and her family take in a homeless teenager. The movie based on a real-life story with big impact.  Here is another real-life story with huge impact:

This past spring, I received a call from a local elementary school. The administrator had discovered that a 3rd grader from the school was sleeping in a car at the lake with her father (in sub-freezing temperature winter weather). Mom was in the entertainment industry and had moved up north in search of work. Dad lost his job and through a variety of circumstances had all but given up. The school discovered they had been sleeping in a car and was seeking help from our church.

I was asked, “What can your church do to help?”  Here is what I threw out on Twitter:

Here is what happened as a result:

Six individuals donated over 50 articles of clothing. Several individuals were from different area churches.

One gentleman found the father and took him downtown to seek help before giving up his daughter. This person also spent time on the phone and in person counseling the father over the last two weeks and offering support and assistance.

One family offered to take the little girl into their home until permanent help was found. They have provided food, shelter and transportation over the last two weeks and are working with school officials and community agencies to find a solution.

It’s amazing to see people anticipating a need and then jumping out to meet that need in a variety of loving ways. It is certainly helpful to have the use of social media platforms like Twitter to build relationships, create awareness and help in the local community.  I look forward to more opportunities this year to use social media on a local level!

What can we learn from this story? What other ways have you seen Twitter or other social media platforms help have an impact on a local community? Please share.

You may also enjoy. 10 Essentials of Online Leadership, Social Media Ain’t About Me: 5 Ways to Be Selfless on Twitter or Facebook, 4 Twitter Questions Every Blogger or Organization Should Ask, 10 Ways You Can Fight Domestic Poverty & When Church & Culture Collide

I’ve written a lot about utilizing Twitter, Facebook and blogs like this one to build influence with others around the world. As business leaders, church leaders (and really just as a people), we have a responsibility to be a good steward of the resources and life that we’ve been given. This includes being responsible with our influence in social media (sites likes Twitter and Facebook and blogs) and and being open with the lives we live outside of the 9-5. Let me explain. Here are 4 Reasons To Use Social Media To Model Leadership:

1. Trust me, people are watching you. They want to know if you are the real deal. They want to see if you talk the talk or simply walk the walk. They should be watching you online as you open up your life. Think about it. Your influence & “face time” with people can be expanded 10-100 fold by choosing to utilize social media to share your life with others.

2. Long story short, I’ve chosen to open my life up to others online and you should do the same.  Out to the right of this text is a new 30 day time line of pictures I’ve posted to Twitter & Facebook through Twitpic. Just over 2000 people have viewed these pictures. Take a look at them.  If you look closely, you can see some themes emerge: family is important, my wife and I have an open and fun relationship (see her text), and I’m a real person, flaws and all. You should share your life today too. First, you need to make the decision THAT you want to share it.  Then you can worry about the HOW (Twitter, Facebook, a blog, Twitpic, Linkedin, YouTube, etc).

3. I’m not saying that people should follow me or you…be like me…me, me…you, you, you.  Ultimately, it is not about me at all. Or you. These pics are mixed in with dozens upon dozens of text posts about God, family, leadership and life.  Still, connected to these pictures and posts are countless conversations with other people.  You should see the conversations on Twitter alone.  Each picture, each post is a touch point about what is important to me.  I hope they make people think about their own life- what is or could be important to them.  The way things could be. Each post you make could be a touch point for you.  It’s not about you.  It’s about what you are leading people to do.  Who they are becoming.  I repeat, it’s not about you.

4. So what is your thing? Find out, then share it. What do you hold most valuable to you heart, your soul?  Who is the REAL you that people need to see?  How can you begin to open up your life to those you lead?  Think about it. Then share it. Show people who you really are.

Hope this post makes you think. That is the goal. Don’t limit your influence. Don’t underestimate the reach you can have and how much of a statement your own life makes. What is important to you? Share it!  What are you so passionate about? Show it! Sometimes without even using words…

What are your thoughts in regards to this topic? Does it scare you to open up your life to others?  What other tips do you have for those of us trying to increase our influence with those we lead?  Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include creativity, family, faith, culture, social media and leadership. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right. – Chad

Action Step: Write down one thing you will do this week as a result of reading this post.  If you need the accountability, write it in the comments below!

Re-post: I’m still learning how to be effective in social media (through avenues like Facebook, Twitter, blogging), but I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by good examples (Scott Williams & Tony Steward).  I help lead a campus at LifeChurch.tv, a non-profit who for some time has engaged its people through social media and more recently through a fully Facebook-integrated website. We still have MUCH to learn, but are spending more and more time engaging people “where they are” and not just “when they come through the doors.”  Some of this interaction comes in the form of organizational social media like blogs, Facebook pages and LifeChurch.tv campus Twitter accounts. Other interactions take place individually through personal blogs, FB and Twitter interaction.  Here is Taking The ME out of Social Media:

Be a contributor, not just a consumer. Social MEdia (notice the capital “ME”) is all about taking or receiving. There is nothing wrong with reading other people or following those that you respect.  It’s cool to receive; we all do!  Still, take one step further to ask yourself the question, what can I contribute?   Effective social media is more about what you can give than it is about what you can receive. An example of contributing may be adding content or it could be as simple as sharing someone else’s post (you can contribute by Retweeting this one).  The goal changes from “What can I get?” to “Who can I help?”  Ultimately, be a contributor, not just a consumer!

Engage in conversation. My grandma used to say, “Chad, it takes two to tango!”  In social media, it takes being somewhat social to be effective (or two to tango). Traditional media has been compared to driving a car down a one way street (you can read a paper or listen to the news, but you have little ability to share your thoughts with traditional media).  Social media, on the other hand, is like a two-way street with conversation going both ways.  Have you ever tried to drive “one way” down a “two-way street”?  You’ll be fine if you pick the right side, but eventually you’ll vear onto the  wrong side of the road and you will be hacking some folks off!  People will honk, curse you and throw a fit until you realize you are going ”one-way” down a ”two-way” street.  In social media, you may not have a head-on collision (you could just be ignored), but you won’t be near as effective as you could be if you engaged in conversation!

Pointing to yourself vs. also pointing to the greater good. The greater good can be bringing clean water to those who don’t have it or it could simply be bringing clarity to writers who want to communicate better.  Both are needed and both are helpful.  This is responsible social media.  Social MEdia, on the other hand, ultimately points to oneself.  It is all about….ME!  Effective social media points beyond oneself to the greater good. It takes advantage of its voice and helps contribute in whatever way possible.

Question your motives. Is it all about you?  In the short term, you may grow your brand or your popularity.  Eventually though, if your motives are all about you, people will begin to see right through it like a wet t-shirt on a fat guy (not pretty underneath).  It’s ok to speak confidently about something you believe in, just watch your motives.  Ask yourself the question, “Am I just trying to make myself look good here or am I truly trying to help out others?”  If you are always tooting your own horn (Social MEdia), eventually the ears of others will be deafened by the noise. You will turn them off and they in turn will turn you off.  Question your motives and choose the higher road.

Build community. Bring people together around a common passion or pursuit.  Ask questions that will draw responses from people with different backgrounds.   On the contrary, Social MEdia is all about building up ME. It doesn’t consider the thoughts, experiences and perspectives of others.  Effective social media draws people into community through conversation and personal interaction.  Do your best to build commmunity, even if just with a few at first.

I would really like to ask for your feedback here in the comments.  Do you see any of these principles as true in your experience?  What are other real differences betwen effective social media and Social MEdia? We would all love to continue to learn …

Want to hear more about social media and social good?  Subscribe for email updates HERE.

Repost: I help lead a campus at LifeChurch.tv in Fort Worth, Texas, and like anyone else am always trying to develop into being a more effective church leader. Time and resources are limited, but the use of social media tools like blogs, Facebook and Twitter seem to stretch what we’ve known in the past as limitations. I have a lot to learn! Still, I’ve picked up a few tips that may help you. Whether you are a volunteer, group leader, ministry leader or Senior Pastor or just a general leader, these will help. Here are 8 Tips For Using Social Media To Be a Better Church Leader:

1. Stay connected with your people
Church leaders ask people at church to “come to us,” but many are often reluctant to “go to them.”  Social media allows us to follow and keep up with the lives of those we lead “where they are.”  Twitter & Facebook allow for the use of lists to group different types of people at our church (certain leaders, new guests, etc.) and stay connected.

2. Learn names
Facebook is a great way to put that face with a name.  When your church attendance bumps up to the thousands, learning people’s names obviously makes the church feel smaller. (I am bad w names, but I’m recovering).  We have a church fan page and I’ve learned a lot of names from there.  When you can then call someone out by name at church, you will be able to enagage them on a whole new level!

3. Meet people that go to your church
I meet more people at my church through social media than I do in person. I repeat: I meet more people at my church through social media than I do in person. A lot of times at church I am on stage or I miss people because of the crowds.  Social media often allows us to meet during the week online!

4. Virtual office hours
I know church leaders posting virtual office hours. People know they can ask questions, chat, pray or whatever.  This is another touchpoint that can help a church leader to be more in touch with his or her people, and be a better church leader!

5. Online Prayer
God isn’t limited to time and space and neither is prayer!  Even in the first century church, church leaders used written prayers to impact people at different locations. Social media allows us to do the same!  Prayer for people through text, etc.

6. Modeling behaviors that you would like to see in your people.
What would you like to see in the lives of your people?  Serving?  Generosity? Sharing their faith? Focus on their family? Model these behaviors for them, show them what it looks like.  This is exactly the way Jesus developed his disciples.  Model these behaviors, then use creative ways to open up your life to the people that you lead online. I intentionally post about family at least once every 2 weeks, and about serving others once every couple of weeks.

7. Telling stories
Use social media to tell stories that will inspire others to live a different life.  The best leaders are good story tellers.  Use video, pictures, sentences and thoughts to tell a compelling story worth hearing.  A moving story causes others to want to join in!

8. Build community
Use social media to ask questions, initiate conversation and build community. Some people will enter into dialogue online where they would never talk about in person. A conversation may be the one thing that inspires them to open up their lives to others.

What are other tips you have for using social media to engage those you lead?  Do you wee any of the above tips as relevant in your own life?  I’d love to hear in the comments below!

TheWayItCouldBe.com is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include leadership, family, faith, culture, creativity & social media. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right. – Chad

I wouldn’t say that TheWayItCouldBe.com is a Killer Blog. It’s growing though.  And I’m having fun (one of many reasons to blog).  People are reading.  And like this blog, they are growing too (I asked in our 2010 Reader Survey- take the survey)! Nonetheless, there are a few blogging tips I’ve picked up along the way.  Want to grow your blog? Here are 5 Keys to Having a Killer Blog. Drink up. Share if you like it.

1. Setup- It doesn’t have to be flashy, but get the basics down. You need a decent platform. I use a basic WordPress theme with some artwork.  You need an “About” section so people will know who you are.  Also, a category section will help readers know what you are all about.  I also like to give people the option to connect on Facebook, Twitter, Subscribe by email or RSS feed. Get a good setup on your blog and you will be off to the races!

2. Focus- Let’s just be honest. You are going to have a tough time building an audience if you ramble on about your cat, your dinner or what your cat ate for dinner.  There are over 200 million blogs in the world, and yours needs to stand out if you are serious about growing your influence.  Tap into your real passions and focus in on one or a few key areas.  My most popular posts are on one of three areas: family/relationships, leadership or faith.  Focus. Focus. Focus.

3. Content- Content is king.  When I got into real estate as a young person, a mentor of mine always told me, “Chad, cash is king.”  He was spot on.  In real estate, cash was king. Without cash, you won’t make it.  In blogging, content is king.  Without good content, you won’t make it.  This best tip I have is this: think about what you are learning and share it with others.  Write notes and ideas all the time and store up a “bank” for future posts. Content is king.

4. Engage- People don’t want to talk to a wall.  Ask questions.  Engage people.  Respond to comments.  Contribute to the reader.  You can’t engage someone on his or her level if you are talking about yourself the entire time.  Take this post for instance.  It’s about you having a better blog.  Hopefully this causes you to engage as you read. Does it? Seriously, please let me know.

5. Brevity- Most people browse or read blogs very quickly. I try to keep my entries under 500 words.  Some people would argue that this is even too long.  Brevity is important. Think about it. If you can say something in 300 words, why take 700 to do it?  Subtitles are like icing on the cake.  I like strawberry cake by the way.  With subtitle icing.

Bonus tips from Scott Williams.  You get extra points for reading this one.  Ok blogging people, what other tips do you have?  How can we be better bloggers?? We would LOVE to hear from you in the comments below!

Most celebrities have a Twitter account for staying in touch with fans, being relevant, etc. Other celebs are on Twitter because Twitter is mainstream!

Most celebs are on Twitter, but Tiger, his pace of life, and his recent dramatic life events have likely kept him off the map (Here are 29 Signs You Are Having a Love Affair With Twitter).

Until today. Welcome to Twitter Tiger!

Ok TheWayItCouldBe.com readers… Is Tiger asking for it?  Do you still hold a grudge or have you forgiven him? Do you think he will win the world back?   How is he doing recently with the way he is managing his career?  Is it even our business at all? Let the comments roll below!

New to TheWayItCouldBe.com? This is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include creativity, family, faith, culture, social media and leadership. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right.

The 2010 Mentor is someone that you identify as an authority on a particular topic or area. You may or may not even know them, but through technology, social media (and the likes) you can learn a ton from them!   They are different than a traditional mentor or what you would think of as a mentor.  While they don’t take the place of real face-to-face relationships in your life, the 2010 Mentor can help shape your beliefs and skills and help you grow in powerful ways.  This post was written in conjunction with The 2010 Mentor: How Someone You Barely Know Can Change Your Life (I would recommend also reading the first post so that you can have better context for this one).  Below are a few tips on finding a 2010 Mentor as well as ways to give back by being a 2010 Mentor.  The 2010 Mentor- How to Find One & Become One:

How do I find a 2010 Mentor?

1. Get clarity. Find out where you need help or what you would like to learn. Get clarity on a few areas of growth.  Ask questions like, “If I could grow in any area in my life right now, what area would that be?” You may have answers like, “I would like to grow as a communicator,” or “I would like to learn to be a better friend to others,” or “I would like to grow in a deeper relationship with my spouse.”  Personal and spiritual growth happens when you are intentional about it.  Identify a few areas of growth, then turn them into concrete, measurable goals.  Get clarity.

2. Get after it. After you find out what you are looking for in a 2010 Mentor, get after it! Ask questions like, “Who can I learn from to grow in the areas that I would like to grow.”  If you want to grow as a communicator, find a few people you respect as communicators.  If you want to grow as a friend, find a resource and buy it (Speed of Trust by Steven Covey is money)!  If you would like to grow in a relationship with your spouse, seek out someone that is an authority on relationships and starting digesting what they are saying.  Here is a good list of relationship resources.  Your 2010 Mentor probably won’t even know they are one of your 2010 Mentors.  Just start paying attention to what they say, do, etc. Read like crazy, listen to podcasts, and get after it!

3. Get realistic. Recognize limitations. The 2010 Mentor doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have personal relationships with others.  On the contrary!  You desperately need real relational influences in your life. The 2010 Mentor is not a substitute for face-to-face relationships.  It just means you are seeking out a specific person to learn from for a specific reason.  It is supplemental to other relationships and friendships in your life.  There are obvious limitations to the 2010 Mentor, but if you are intentional with who you seek out, you can learn a ton!  Just make sure you are realistic about what they can offer.

How do you find 2010 Mentors?  Please share! For more thoughts on clarifying your personal vision and values, check out: The Player Piano and Leadership- Writing Your Own Song in Life, Mastering Time and Influencing the World: 5 Things I’ve Learned About Time, Focus & Eating Frogs & 10 Crucial Questions to Ask Yourself in 2010.

How do I become a 2010 Mentor?

1. Be transparent. Be willing to allow others to see into your life. Social media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter) is the perfect platform for this.  If you learn something, share it.  People can’t follow you or learn from you if your life is not accessible to them in any way.

2. Be Intentional. Be intentional about what you allow others to see. I intentionally blog and post about leadership, innovation, church, family, impacting culture.  Almost everything I post is intentional in some way.  I am doing my best to model certain behaviors so that others in my life can follow my lead.  As your discover your values in life, allow these values to shape your actions.  Then be intentional about your actions and what you allow others to see.  Light bulbs throw out a ton of light that goes in all different directions.  Lasers focus that light and have serious impact.  Be the laser, not the lightbulb.  Be intentional.

3. Be vulnerable. Be willing to get a little vulnerable. People need to see that you are not perfect. They need to see that you are a real person.  If you mess up, share it (when appropriate).  Be willing to take risks and don’t preten to have all the answers.  Have more questions than answers.  Develop conversations and relationships.  Be vulnerable.

How else can you be a 2010 Mentor?  Please share. For more thoughts on influencing others, check out: 10 Essentials of Online Leadership, Leadership Ain’t A Title: How To Gain Influence Where You Are Now, 4 Twitter Questions Every Blogger or Organization Should Ask, Social Media Ain’t About Me: 5 Ways to Be Selfless on Facebook or Twitter.

If you enjoy TheWayItCouldBe.com, feel free to subscribe to recieve email updates by clicking on the handy new envelope a the top of the page!

Re-post from the fall:  I’m still relatively new to the social media scene, but I’ve picked up a few tips on how to avoid making it all about me.  Maybe you’ll pick up a tip here or perhaps you could share one of your own with the rest of us!  Here are 5 Ways to Be Selfless on Twitter or Facebook:

1. Read other people’s stuff and comment. What a great way to show others that you care about what they have to say!  You’d be amazed what you can learn from other people.  Seeing life from another perspective is always a great way to grow!

2. Get to know five other people online today. Read their profile and learn about who they are.  Ask them to tell you more about one of their interests.  Social media is a fabulous way to build relationships with others, but the when the relational aspect is removed it can easily become Social ME-dia!  The minute it becomes about ME, it loses its luster.

3. Find a tweet you like and re-tweet. Don’t be Re-tweet Pete  and re-tweet everything your see, but if you like something someone has to say, share it with others.

4. Try to spend a whole day showing nothing but interest in others. Don’t post anything, unless it is about what you see in someone else. Express interest in anyone but yourself! This reminds us that the earth revolves around something besides us.  Try this for a day and see what happens!

5. When you do write your own stuff, ask questions and initiate conversation. Chances are, you don’t “own” the market on a particular subject.  Anyone who says they have an original thought (including this one) may very well likely be giving testimony to their own lack of perspective.  What a great way to show love by seeking feedback and response from others!

Ed Young said once, “When your ambition ends with you, your ambition will end you.”  What a great reminder! Concerning social media, what did I miss? What are some other ways to make sure social media isn’t just just about me? I’m sure there are a ton of other tips out there, please share!

First there was 29 Signs You’re Having a Love Affair with Twitter (or Facebook).  Now this…

Little Timmy Tweets a lot, tweet, tweet, tweet
Tweeting in the shower and tweeting in his sleep
Tweeting cause his broccoli is green, green green
Tweeting when a song makes him sing sing sing

Little Timmy Tweets a lot, tweet tweet tweet
Tweeting on an ice cream run, sweet sweet sweet
Tweeting while he’s walking cross a busy street
Tweeting cause it makes him feel oh so neat

Tweeting in the morning, tweeting at lunch,
tweeting bout the waffles that he ate for brunch.
Tweeting in the evening, tweeting at night.
Tweeting bout the dude that he thinks he can fight.

Little Timmy Tweets a lot, bout to take a nap.
Start to get sleepy so he tweets about that.
Nap ends early, so he tweets that too.
Little Timmy, what would Twitter do with out you?!!

Know any Little Timmy Tweets a Lots?  Let us know about it in the comments… Are you one?  Let’s get a confession baby!

New to TheWayItCouldBe.com? This is a site promoting cultural impact through personal and spiritual transformation. Post topics include creativity, family, faith, culture, social media and leadership. Feel free to browse around by category. If you dig the site, you can subscribe for free email updates by simply entering your email address in the sidebar out to the right.