So, here we are, on the last day of the year. I was curious which blog post resonated most with The People Equation readers in 2010, so I checked it out. A review of my WordPress stats revealed that the most-read post this year was 25 Free Leadership Development Resources. In fact, it was read three times as much as the next-most-popular blog post of 2010. So what does that mean?
Well, it’s got an SEO-loving title and of course people are drawn to the word “free”. I do recall that it had quite a few retweets on Twitter, so that probably helped. I also know that the word “leadership” does well in Google searches.
So that’s the logical side of me using analytics to determine why the post fared so well.
Then there’s the hopeful side of me, the part that wants to believe that it was more than just smart use of SEO terms with some help from Twitter. Is it possible that there’s more to the story than just a grab at a “freebie” or an idle curiosity? Could it be that a true desire to be a better leader drove the traffic?
What if people actually cared about leadership development?
What if aspiring leaders were drawn to the “free resources” because they want to do better at their job, but have no funds for educational opportunities? Or, what if a senior leader, in her quest for ensuring the best possible development for her employees, found this post and checked out a few of the online blogs and assessments mentioned. . . and actually used the ideas learned?
As a professional who’s passionate about helping others learn to be better leaders, that’s how I choose to view the stats, even if it’s a bit wishful. The optimist in me believes in people’s willingness to learn. In my book, personal growth trumps SEO any day of the week.
photo credit: istockphoto.com © Lukasz Kulicki
Good post Jennifer, I often wonder about the same thing. Does the average person care about leadership growth or only when they want a raise or promotion. The lesson is that growth for a promotion does not happen overnight you need to build a little bit every day.
I look forward to reading your posts in 2011.
Larry,
You bring up an excellent point: is there an “instant gratification” aspect that also feeds the appeal of a blog post proclaiming “free leadership development resources”? Simply reading the post will not make someone a better leader. As you point out, developing leadership skills is a long-term process.
Thanks for stopping by, and all the best to you in 2011.