Leaders on Social: What It Means to Lead with Impact in 2025

Today’s thought leadership landscape is overflowing with attention-grabbing headlines, algorithm-chasing content, and relentless clickbait. But USA TODAY has put the spotlight on five leaders who are changing what leadership actually means in 2025.

And guess who’s on that list? Our very own Managing Director, Giselle Elsom, getting her kudos for leading with purpose and passion.

At Truffle Social, leadership isn’t just about growing a brand or chasing numbers, it’s about using your voice and influence to make a real difference. Leaders should own their platforms with intention, make space for diverse voices, and share honest stories. Take our recent International Women’s Day campaign, where we aimed to smash the stigma around women’s health and sparked genuine conversations that had hundreds of women tuning in to share their experiences.

We know that true leaders walk the talk, whether that’s through their company culture, the stories they share, or how they show up online. For us, leadership means making noise about what you believe in and inspiring others to jump on board. With that in mind, our approach to leadership through social is simple:

• Really getting to know our audience so that your content can tune in to people’s needs, stories, and their want to connect.
  
  
• Building campaigns that spark conversation and community (and that’s why we love our polls, stitched videos, and comment-driven carousels!).
  
  
• Choosing impact over vanity metrics. Reach matters, but we’re all about saves, shares, and comments that get people talking and thinking.

Giselle’s shoutout in USA TODAY nails exactly what we’re about at Truffle, which is leadership that’s grounded in empathy, purpose, and a serious commitment to making social media meaningful. As she drives our global growth and champions emerging talent in our industry, she’s the kind of leader demonstrating that real influence is about the positive change you create and the connections you build.

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