The people in your professional network who can advance your career can see your leadership abilities and skills by using LinkedIn wisely. Of course, this strategy won’t be successful for colleagues who avoid social media. However, for the 95% of people who are developing their personal brands online, these nine strategies, which liven up both your profile and your LinkedIn activity, will help you convince stakeholders of your leadership abilities.
You’re LinkedIn profile
Make sure the information on your LinkedIn profile appropriately reflects your leadership activities, successes, and abilities.
1. The Creator Mode
The ability to highlight your top 5 hashtags is available when creator mode is activated. To others who view your profile, hashtags like #leadership, #negotiation, or #globalstrategy sends a message. Naturally, make sure the terms you use are ones you are strongly about. The secret to effective personal branding is authenticity.
2. Your Headshot
Use a headshot that shows you take your job seriously and is professional. Steer clear of selfies, group photos, and casual looks. Dress appropriately. If a suit and tie or formal attire is not required at your workplace, you should still dress to the upper limit of what is acceptable there.
3. Recommendations
Ask colleagues, team members, former managers, and clients for testimonials about your leadership abilities rather than bragging about them yourself. These endorsements give your profile more authority.
4. About You
The version of your bio that gets read the most is your LinkedIn About. Highlight leadership qualities like motivating others, overseeing projects, formulating strategy, etc. in your 3,000 characters. The About features your strengths. A new tool allows you to highlight your top skills, emphasising your leadership abilities.
5. Endorsements
You don’t have to retain your abilities in the order they are displayed by LinkedIn, which is based on the amount of recommendations you have earned. Rearrange your skills in edit mode to prioritise your leadership abilities regardless of endorsements.
6. Extracurricular activities and volunteering
Include any leadership positions you’ve held outside of work, such as mentoring, event planning, or volunteering. This shows your dedication to applying your abilities to a variety of important tasks.
7. Highlight Leadership Achievements
Use the “Experience” section of your profile to highlight specific achievements from your leadership roles. Emphasise projects that were a success, quantitative results, and any activities you led.
Activity on LinkedIn
Post information on leadership, market developments, and professional development on a regular basis. Sharing worthwhile information shows your enthusiasm in creating thought leadership communities. Just be careful not to overdo it and that what you say offers real insight. You don’t want your employer or coworkers to believe that you only use LinkedIn sometimes.
8. Send recommendations via LinkedIn
Proactively acknowledging others for their contributions is a trait of leaders. Don’t hold off on requesting someone’s recommendation until they ask you to. Send unasked-for recommendations to teammates and other respectable persons. It’s an effective method to recognise outstanding work and display your leadership qualities.
9. Be A Brand Ambassador
Leaders are open to developing relationships with the organisation outside of their official roles. By sharing articles from your company’s LinkedIn company page with your followers, you can show to your followers that you’re a big thinker (and someone who takes action).
Remember that the best way to demonstrate your leadership skills on LinkedIn is through regular, genuine participation. Your network will begin to take you seriously if you’re willing to start treating your digital brand seriously.