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Five years ago, when boards were searching for a leader, social media competency wasn’t even my blog on the radar. Now, according to the board members and CEOs we interviewed for our book, a strong social presence is often high on the list of factors they consider when vetting CEO candidates.

According click here to recent research conducted by Domo, 30% of Fortune 500 CEOs have a presence on at least one social channel. And on paper, especially considering the Social Age is only six years old, 3 in 10 may not seem too bad a ratio. But even these so-called “social CEOs” aren’t that social.

They Have a DIY Mindset

The same CEOs who look up information on Google social rather than asking an assistant to do it are flocking to social. They don’t want to hear input from customers filtered through 13 layers of management. They don’t want to see a summary report blog on employee morale or customer satisfaction. They want their input raw and without any manipulation.

Many social CEOs aren’t social just because they have a company to run; they see value read more in being social in every aspect of their lives. They care about social more than the bottom line. They give back, they mentor, and they care about real social issues that have nothing to do with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. We refer to those who act consistently in a collaborative, generous way as “relentless givers.” They constantly share what they know, connect others and — often for no other reason than because it is the right thing to do — they do good. One standout example is OCLC’s Skip Prichard, who blogs on leadership and shares insights from his favorite authors – often with no direct benefit to him or his social organization.

We have always looked to the boss as the face of the company. We admire the leaders whose brands, both personal and corporate, are led responsibly – and revile those whose company is seen as autocratic, self-serving and non-caring. As goes the personal brand of a CEO, so goes the brand. A study by Weber Shandwick backs up this observation: About two-thirds of customers say their perception of a CEO directly impacts their perception of the company. Social CEOs are building their personal brand whenever they engage on social media, and when they do it in an authentic and generous way, they’re also improving the company brand.

Writer Kare Anderson takes OPEN to the next level as she talks routinely of mutuality and deliberately becoming an opportunity maker. She said in her recent TED talk, “Each one of us is better than anybody else at something… which disproves the popular notion that if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”