Whether or not you realize it, your organization is married to your digital team lead. Or you should be! Organizations that churn through digital leads rarely realize their true online strategy, and more often than not, end up spinning their wheels and exposing themselves to constant battles over who owns the digital channel — from

So with that in mind, it really is a good idea to marry your team lead, and as with any marriage partner, you should consider a solid set of traits when making that big decision:

Positive attitude: there will be ups and there will be downs, but can your partner support the end goal and keep a positive frame of mind to keep fighting the good fight?

• Good communication skills: your digital team lead needs to communicate to those reporting to him/her as well as to executives. You want someone who gets it, can relate, and relay information to those needed audiences
• Forgiving: the team lead takes a beating. Sorry, it’s the truth! Forgiveness will save your marriage more times than you can count, so rank this high on your list!
• Honesty and respect: needless to say, this is a two-way street. You should give it, but also get it back. After all, you and your digital team are in this one together!
• Hard working: this one should be clear, and if your digital team lead isn’t willing to sign up for it, hit the dating scene again!
• Compassionate: you want a lead that will understand and relate to all digital stakeholders, from your business
• Faithfulness: steer clear of the individual who will sabotage you or your digital initiatives, or who has historically jumped out of prior relationships every few years when things got rough. This applies to the relationship with internal folks, as well as external to your organization.
• A sense of humor: you will go through a lot with your digital team lead, including some uncomfortable early-morning calls around server
• Ready to commit: you want a partner who is ready to settle down and not use you as a stepping stone to move on for their own career growth or earning potential. By the same token, make certain you pay your digital lead well, ensure mentoring and growth opportunities, and show the value that the digital lead brings to the organization. Promotion potential also helps, but many good digital leads are willing to give you the best years of their life as just that — a digital team lead!

So whether your site is large, medium, or small, if you have only the web or your digital also spans to social and mobile, your digital channels (and you!) deserve a lifetime of happiness, whether you see that as making it to your silver wedding anniversary or having someone with you into your golden years.