I'm not following you.
And other thoughts on a virtuous approach to LinkedIn
I’ve been unfollowing a lot of people.
Since becoming more active on LinkedIn this fall, a few things have quickly lost their luster:
People who post too often. It’s analogous to someone who talks too much, and listens too little. Not pleasant.
People whose posts are consistently self-promotional. No thanks, smells bad. Especially stinky when it’s positioned by way of bait-and-switch: “Here are 5 leadership insights…wanna buy my book?”
People who subtly brag: “What am I doing getting on a plane to meet with leaders today?…” or “How cool it is that I get to work from a tropical resort this week?” with a picture of the fella parasailing. Has no one taught them that bragging is inherently repulsive?
People who promote bad ideas, e.g. wealth is god, or business growth is unquestionably and obviously man’s greatest achievement. (If you’re interested, here’s a comment I wrote in relation to an implicit example of this, in relation to working for Steve Jobs.)
All of which begs the question: why “do” LinkedIn at all? Well as my colleague Dylan Drego has taught me, a lot of the people we want to connect with and potentially help are spending time there. Thus it can be a form of service. Assuming you have something to give!
In my case I’m trying to share some wisdom and experience, especially in a business world that tends to worship money and performance. Those who live for money and worldly acclaim will come to bad ends, and I want to show them a better way before it’s too late. I also enjoy making people chuckle via witty comments, which I hope is a service to others, too.
How about you? What are you up to on LinkedIn and why?