My journey into social media and using it to build a platform to serve has been largely influenced by Michael Hyatt, former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Early in my education about how to leverage new media, Mike posted about taking a 48-hour fast from Twitter.

What did that mean? I was just getting the hang of it, or so I thought. Was there a crack in the system?

Not at all. In fact, Mike was just doing what he always does. Sharing his knowledge.

The whole thing was an experiment to explore the effects of Twitter on different areas of his life.

It was a relief to learn that I shouldn’t experience withdrawal pains if I decide to turn the network off for awhile.

While Michael’s discussion of “The Twitter Effect” was helpful, there was something more. I hadn’t visited his blog looking for these insights.

But in a moment of Social Media serendipity, there they were. Throughout the post, I noticed subtle evidences of some of the top qualities that define “great leadership.”

I’ve listed seven:

1. Great leaders publicly acknowledge others. In the first line of his post, Michael let the whole world know that Anne Jackson was his friend and that she had his attention. That probably encouraged Anne and brightened her day just a little.

2. Great leaders are open to the ideas of others. The idea for the challenge was Anne’s. Even though it didn’t initially conform to Michael’s thinking, he was open to considering it. He didn’t just dismiss it outright either. Even after saying “no” to the experiment he reevaluated his position. He determined that the exercise might actually teach him something. He went forward.

3. Great leaders are readers. We hear this statement a lot. “Not all readers are leaders but all great leaders are readers.” For good reason. It’s true. Michael said, “I read a lot.” Granted, it might have been occupational malpractice for the leader of the largest Christian publishing company in the world to say he doesn’t read very much. But I think it’s safe to say that he REALLY loves reading.

4. Great leaders are listeners. Michael listened to what Anne had to say. He mentioned, as he frequently does in his writings, the enjoyment of seeking and absorbing information from those around him. That’s not possible if you’re doing most of the talking. (I’ve wrestled with this one.)

5. Great leaders are learners. The Twitter experiment was undertaken to enlarge Michael’s understanding of social media’s influence in his life. This post, like so many before it, reveals his quest for discovery.

6. Great leaders share what they’ve learned. That was the main reason he wrote the post. Michael’s motivation always seems to lean toward helping others learn and grow. I bet this passion for serving others is evident in many other areas of his life.

7. Great leaders live their values. It’s not a role they play. It’s who they are. It’s demonstrated every day through what they say and do…and blog and tweet.

Want to learn about great leadership? Follow great leaders like Mike Hyatt, that are willing to share knowledge openly, specifically, and with fine detail. Social Media makes it easy to sit in their virtual classrooms. Doing so will expand your opportunities for connecting and learning. Sometimes in ways you were not expecting.

Question: Who are you learning from right now? What one thing have they taught you?