I'm preparing for a presentation at a national health care communications conference this fall and was looking for insights from CEOs and senior leaders about what they see as the disconnect between how their communication professionals approach social media and what's important to the C-suite.

Here's a response I received from a communication professional: 

"The most common demand that the C-suite has about social media is "what's the ROI?" The problem is that's the wrong question."

Really? Therein lies the disconnect.

This person went on to provide all kinds of additional support for their position, drawing upon the wisdom of others in the communication profession whose opinions and perspectives aligned with theirs. But, again, that's the problem. Communication professionals are "speaking to the choir" when they commiserate with each other about how "misinformed" the C-suite is. The fact of the matter is that communication professionals (and others in service roles, like HR staff, legal services, etc.) exist to serve the C-suite.

Tough to take, but it's the truth. You will continue to beat your head against the proverbial glass ceiling if you don't learn how to translate the benefits of your communication efforts into language that the C-suite not only understands, but that they value.

It really doesn't matter how many friends, followers or fans you have. 

It really doesn't matter how many nice comments you get on your Facebook page. 

It really doesn't matter if you win awards through your communication associations and are lauded for your creative work.

What matters? Results. If you want to be a communication  leader, not just a communication practitioner, here are are some important first steps.