Before you get all upset, I don’t mean delete your Facebook account entirely; just the Facebook app on your phone. I don’t think that Facebook is inherently evil. It’s a great way to keep up with the lives of family, friends, and colleagues, not to mention a fundamental tool in the marketing of many successful businesses.
That being said, research shows the average person spends 27 hours on Facebook a month and 21.5 of those hours are on mobile. So I asked myself, what positive things would happen if I deleted Facebook from my phone? I ran a two-week test; deleting the Facebook app on my phone, but not banning myself from the website completely. Here are 3 things I learned and why every Leader should delete the Facebook App from their phone.
Start Learning More
John F. Kennedy famously said, “leadership and learning are indispensable from each other.” The amount of educational content that is going to help you grow and improve is massively lacking on Facebook. The 20 minutes I spend daily reading articles on LinkedIn Pulse and business books like Extreme Ownership from Jacko Willink (yes actual books with words written on paper), became a much better use of time than the one gem article I would find on Facebook.
Increase in Positive Mental Thoughts
For a leader of people, in whatever capacity, checking Facebook on a regular basis creates a false sense of needs and desires. Take for example when you post a picture. You are instantly concerned with how much attention your picture gets in the form of likes and comments. This promotes a selfish and “all about me” attitude and this outlook is the opposite of how the best leaders view their world. The best leaders are concerned with others; lifting them up and promoting their worth. I would prefer to see leaders like and comment on content that adds value and improves performance.
Improved Productivity
Checking Facebook on your phone is too easy; it’s addictive, and most importantly a gigantic waste of time. By deleting just the app on your phone, you will be shocked with the freedom you feel. During my study, I was surprised to find out how many times I was actually opening the app. I estimate freeing up between 15-20 minutes a day to do more important things like helping my people, my business, and my family.
After two weeks, I have decided to make the change a permanent one. Checking our company Facebook page, and seeing cute pictures that my wife posts of my kids, will have to be done on a device that isn’t as easily accessible as my smartphone.
John Eades is the President and CEO of LearnLoft. He is passionate about the development of people. He writes and speaks about leadership, sales, modern learning techniques, and generational differences in organizations.
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