How I used reactive consumption to lead smarter
In the first part of this series, I explored how, during my time as an in-house finance leader, I used reactive social media habits — consuming content intentionally, curating who I followed, and staying plugged into the right conversations — to sharpen my thinking. But the real power didn’t stop at what I read. It came from how I applied those insights to my work.
In this second feature, I’ll share how I used the knowledge, trends, and frameworks I picked up through social media to make better decisions, challenge assumptions, and lead with greater confidence inside my organisation.
From consumption to action
Scrolling LinkedIn isn’t leadership.
But using what you learn there can elevate your leadership in ways that matter.
I found that my carefully curated social media consumption provided three critical advantages:
- A broader, more strategic lens on the role of finance.
- New ideas to challenge internal assumptions.
- External validation to support internal change.
Let’s break these down.
Expanding your strategic lens
One of the most important ways I used social media was to broaden my strategic thinking.
Reading about how other finance leaders approached challenges like digital transformation, cost control, or team building gave me fresh perspectives — sometimes confirming my own instincts, sometimes opening up entirely new ways to tackle a problem.
Rather than relying only on internal reports or my own experience, I treated social media as a window into the broader finance world — helping me anticipate trends, identify emerging risks, and think more expansively about the role of finance in driving growth.
Challenging internal assumptions
Every company has its blind spots.
I used insights gathered from social media to challenge assumptions inside my own organisation — whether it was sharing how peers were adopting automation tools, referencing external benchmarks during budgeting discussions, or bringing in outside examples during leadership meetings.
Social media became a quiet but powerful source of credibility:
When I said, “I’m seeing a lot of finance teams experimenting with this approach,” or “Others in our industry are thinking about this risk,” it opened doors for productive conversations and made it easier to introduce change.
Supporting change with external validation
One of the challenges many finance leaders face is pushing through change internally — especially in companies that are risk-averse or set in their ways.
I found that using insights, articles, and examples from social media helped me build a case for change.
Whether I was advocating for new technology, rethinking reporting frameworks, or proposing shifts in team structure, being able to point to external trends or success stories strengthened my arguments and made leadership teams more receptive.
Building a habit of reflection
Back in my days at WAYN, when we were hiring for an Accounts Associate, I used this exact approach — leveraging social media to shape what we were looking for. While I can’t link to the content I used then, it’s similar in spirit to this article by Zanda on startup finance structure, which explores how different team setups affect efficiency and growth. Reading pieces like that helped me think more critically about what gaps we needed to fill, what capabilities were missing on our team, and how the role should evolve as the company scaled.
I developed a simple but consistent process to ensure external perspectives translated into meaningful action:
1. Capture systematically
- Keep a dedicated digital notebook (I used Evernote) for social media insights.
- Bookmark relevant articles and screenshot compelling posts, adding short notes on why they resonate.
2. Reflect deliberately
Block 30 minutes each week for an “external insights review.” Ask:
- How does this challenge our current approach?
- What process or decision could this improve?
- Who else in the team needs to see this?
- Connect the dots across insights to spot emerging patterns.
3. Apply strategically
- Incorporate at least one external insight into your monthly leadership team meetings
- Create a "trends from outside" section in quarterly finance presentations
- Use insights as pre-reading for strategic planning sessions or team discussions
- Follow up on previously shared insights with progress updates
4. Measure impact
- Track which social media-derived insights led to meaningful changes
- Note when external perspectives helped overcome internal resistance
- Refine your content sources based on which consistently provide actionable value
By transforming random scrolling into this structured reflection process, I ensured my social media consumption directly enhanced my leadership effectiveness and organisational impact.
The key was consistency—making reflection a non-negotiable part of my professional routine rather than an occasional afterthought.
The Takeaway
As an in-house finance leader, you don’t need to be loud on social media to get value from it. But you do need to be intentional.
By consuming the right content, reflecting on what matters, and applying those insights inside your organisation, you can:
- Sharpen your strategic thinking
- Challenge the status quo
- Lead more confidently in a fast-changing environment
My experience shows that social media isn’t a distraction — it’s an accelerator when used wisely.
So the next time you scroll LinkedIn, don’t just treat it as passive browsing.
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