Do you have the 'social presence' to be a bona-fide business leader?

We’re flooded with tools designed to keep us in constant communication. But as reliance on technology grows, we’re losing sight of something essential: social presence.

Social presence describes our feeling of connection to another person. True social presence isn’t just about being physically or virtually available—it’s about being intentional in our interactions.

The future of the workplace demands a redefinition of how we communicate. While every company faces its own challenges, whether through navigating its own hybrid working model or when and how to introduce automation tools, the importance of presence in communication has shifted.

Over the last four years most significantly, we have learnt that proximity no longer defines presence - conscious inclusion does. True communication isn’t about whether you’re face-to-face or on a screen—it’s about how much of yourself you bring to the conversation.

My research led me to decipher four types of social presence:

Budgeted presence

This is when we split our attention, engaging in multiple tasks at once—perhaps checking emails while on a Zoom call. It’s efficient, but it comes at the cost of meaningful interaction. Here, we often treat our audience as allocations of our time, rather than colleagues.

Entitled presence

This occurs when we demand full attention from others, often by asking them to set aside distractions or to turn their cameras on in a video call. It can be necessary in certain situations, but risks alienating people if overused.

Competitive presence

When we’re trying to persuade or influence others, we enter competitive presence, using strategies to capture and maintain attention. We compete with the ongoing distractions by being more relevant to our audience. We are treating our audience as an investor.

Invitational presence

This is the most collaborative form of engagement, where we invite others into dialogue, seeking mutual understanding rather than dominance. We are treating our audience as our partner.

To lead effectively in innovation-driven environments, adopting an 'invitational presence' is essential. Organizations must foster genuine interaction, balancing flexibility with engagement. Unfortunately, the more we engage in budgeted presence, the less we are ever in invitational presence.

Leadership is no longer about introducing the latest tools to enhance efficiency, but about creating environments that prioritise meaningful working relationships and an invitation for upskilling through human interaction.

Additionally, while team-building retreats, off-site meetings, and innovation labs provide a setting that invites relationship-building, we are learning that in fact, virtual interactions can be just as fruitful if they are managed beyond a transactional approach or appear as a task among others on the multi-tasking list.

Globally, nearly two-thirds of workers report more changes in the workplace in the last year, and 45% say their workloads have increased significantly. Yet, only 46% feel they have adequate opportunities to develop necessary skills.

The digital tools we use in the workplace are valuable, but they are only as effective as the attention we give them. Yes, technology can enable constant contact, but true connection requires intentionality.

No longer an option for business chiefs

In business landscapes like in the UAE, navigating our social presence becomes not only a choice but a skill, particularly as the region becomes a hub for global citizens. In the Middle East, 83% view leadership skills as vital for future success – a significant rise from the global average of 63%.

This increase signals a strong demand for adaptive leadership in the region, essential for both national and economic progress.

The future of work depends on our ability to focus more on consciously cultivating connections intentionally. By doing so, we’ll see professionals enhance in their creative thinking, knowledge sharing and overall productivity.

Successful leaders will understand that true social presence—whether in person or online—extends beyond productivity. The future of leadership is not just about mastering digital tools; it is about recreating authentic and meaningful rapport, encouraging inclusion while remaining sensitive to the nuances of workplace behaviors, and facilitating genuine dialogue in a world increasingly overstimulated from technology.